Unexpected: part 1 - Imperial grooming
by Mireilles3
Summary: Months after Bespin, Vader manages to secure his son yet again. What does he have in mind for his son this time? Will Luke cooperate? And what about the Emperor's plans for the powerful youth? How will Luke, or even Vader, deal with their new and unexpected challenges as they present themselves? Read and find out! L/V/E/etc. drama, angst, family, etc. Please, R and R!
1. Chapter 1

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012

* * *

When Vader allows himself to be captured, the rebels soon find out that no one captures the Sith Lord unless he wants to. Can they manage him? Or will he achieve his goal and secure his son yet again?

* * *

Good afternoon everyone!

Here is the eleventh of eleven stories that I feel like writing, but can't decide which to work on first. Can you help me figure out that answer?

The story with the most readers and reviews will be my next project in the works. Since it can take a few parts before we finally get to the crux of some stories, I won't check the final tally right from the start. However, only the total of both reviews and ongoing readers will determine which story I'm going to work on first, so, if you like this one, leave a review to vote for it :)

Thanks for your help! Hope you enjoy this story as well!

If you do, please, share your thoughts!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Somewhere in space, a few months after Bespin.

When Darth Vader finally located the minor rebel group once again and engaged his son during the space battle, careful to conceal his true identity from his sensitive son, he knew exactly what he was doing.

He eagerly chased the young Jedi, enjoying the challenge that his son's piloting skills represented while gradually nudging him toward the huge hangar bay of the rebel's main frigate.

While he opened fire on the boy to push the Jedi's amazing and truly satisfying flying skills to their limits, he also purposefully manoeuvred Luke into a non-lethal collision course with a durasteel panel that he had just torn loose with the Force.

As the Sith had planned, the heavy piece of metal flew straight at the youth's x-wing and into its blind spot; when Luke finally sensed the danger, it was too late. The impact knocked him off track, which then sent him careening toward the close-by landing bay.

Satisfied that he had efficiently put the boy out of the fight without endangering him anymore than necessary, Vader swiftly brought his own ship close to his son's until the two ships could scrape against one another, unbalancing each other just seconds before they penetrated the landing bay. Tumbling wildly, the two fighters hooked onto one another, cutting off any remaining hope of escaping the looming 'disaster'.

They then came in fast, the sound of straining metal alarming everyone present to hurry out of their way if they wanted to survive the 'accidental' crash landing.

* * *

Aboard his x-wing, Luke Skywalker was straining as hard as he could against his controls, but to no avail. The TIE fighter had gotten wedged so tightly against his right underside that he had no manoeuvrability left at all.

For a brief moment, he considered contacting the imperial through the Force and tell him to work with him or else they were both dead, but he quickly changed his mind. He didn't have either the time or the skills to split his concentration that way.

Not if he wanted to survive this new crash landing anyway.

Behind him, Artoo was screeching in fear as the far away wall rushed toward them at stop speed.

"I know, I know!" he yelled at him. "Kill all the engines now, Artoo!"

"The tractor beam can't lock on you, Commander!" another frantic voice informed him. "You're moving too fast."

"Great," he muttered before he resumed figuring out a way out of this latest misadventure.

Above and to his right, the TIE pilot was obviously as desperate as he was to avoid the quickly approaching wall, his ship straining against his own in a futile effort to free itself from him.

Then, against all odds and at the last possible moment, the imperial managed to break free from their death lock- pushing Luke's ship off and toward the further away portside bulkhead while the TIE itself rammed hard into the starboard hull.

Since the x-wing was now only flying on its own momentum, the sudden change of vector greatly killed its speed, but not enough to save it from a very rough landing against the far wall.

It rammed nose-first in the bulkhead before it slammed down hard on the deck where it remained still, at last.

Luke, though, was not aware anymore to realize that the other's manoeuvre had just saved him from the debilitating injuries that would have resulted from a direct impact with the back wall of the landing bay.

* * *

Aboard his regular TIE, Vader, who had shielded himself before his ship had plundered into the wall, checked on his son's status. He nodded to himself as he ascertained that his gamble had paid off. Not only had he managed to make this landing look like a true accident instead of the cleverly orchestrated plan that it was, but his son was also safe from any serious injury, as well as out of flying and fighting order for a while.

Satisfied with the results of the first part of his plan, he settled in a trance and waited for the second part of the game to begin.

He didn't have to wait for long since emergency crews rushed through the far away main doors of the hangar bay almost as soon as stillness returned to the docking bay.

Rushing to the help of the two ships, the emergency team prepared their rescue kits while bracing themselves for a furious 'and' injured imperial.

* * *

Wedge Antilles, who had just landed at the edge of the hangar bay before the group had made the transition to lightspeed, rushed to Luke's ship. The moment that he was beside it, he opened his friend's cockpit, beating the techs to it while Lando and Dash Rendar, along with the emergency techs, took care of dousing his engines with flame retardants.

The XO couldn't help but gasp in worry and relief when he found his best friend and squadron commander sprawled in his restraints. Despite his helmet, a gash had opened on the Jedi's forehead and he was tightly wedged against his twisted forward console. Antilles quickly checked his CO's vitals- and let out a breath of relief.

He was alive.

Leia would not skin him alive for losing him after yet another attack on his person while she had been away-

"General!" one of the techs on the imperial ship called as if in panic, and Wedge looked up. General Rieekan had just arrived to survey the damage and oversee the recovery operation. "You must see this!"

Puzzled yet aware that the fallen ship could be booby-trapped, Wedge ran toward them even as Rieekan began to climb up on the fallen fighter.

"General, allow me," he stopped his superior and the Alderaani general acknowledged his offer with a silent bow. Wedge gave him a jaunty salute before he looked up at the nervous rescuers. "What is it?" he asked as he nimbly climbed onto the rounded ship to join them.

"Take a look...," one of the soldier answered, keeping his weapon trained on the inside of the Tie. Wondering what was causing the men beside him to look as petrified as they did, he leaned closer and peered inside the open hatch.

He almost fell back in shock.

Darth Vader.

"Well, Commander, what is it?"

"I... ah, it's Vader, Sir," he managed despite his suddenly dry mouth.

But no, his logic objected instantly, this had to be a trick. No one could capture the Dark Lord... It was completely unheard of...

"Is he alive?" Rieekan inquired, climbing up as well.

"Our sensors show that he's unconscious," a medic answered.

"What should we do?" another inquired, exchanging a positively frightened glance with his companions.

"Take him to the brig," Rieekan ordered them grimly. "Make sure that he stays where we put him until we can inform Mon Motham of his capture."

"General?" a nearby officer questioned.

"We are not the Empire, soldier. We do not kill our prisoners without giving them a fair trial," he reminded him sternly, staring the man down before focusing the same stare on everyone else under his command.

The others slowly nodded in compliance and set about obeying his orders.

Meanwhile, Luke was finally extricated from his fallen fighter and rushed to the medcenter.

* * *

The moment that the cell closed, Vader snapped awake. He barely refrained from chuckling at the success of his latest ploy. It had been all too easy to fool the rebs' sensors.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the right moment to recover his son, preferably before the child was completely recovered.

Sitting up slowly, he closed his eyes again and meditated on the rest of his plans. He didn't pay any heed to the various locks and cuffs that the rebels had secured around his limbs; they would be gone with but a thought.

* * *

Eighteen hours and forty-one minutes later, the Sith Lord finally felt his son begin to recover his senses and understood that the time to implement the second phase of his plan was at hand.

With barely a wave of the Force, he knocked out all the guards of the detention area. He then effortlessly freed himself, shed his cape for greater freedom of movement, and then unlocked his door before walking out of the cell he had been put in. On his way down the detention block, he shorted each surveillance device he walked by.

Nothing would stand in his way this time. He 'would' recover his son.

The alarm only went off several minutes later, when the guards failed to report as per orders. By that time, Vader had already made his way down into the maintenance under-deck. From there, he quickly ran to the other end of the ship and closer to his son's slumbering presence.

* * *

In the medcenter, Luke was still mostly out of it when the alarms blared off in strident warning. He tried to answer their call and join his comrades in what was undoubtedly a new imperial attack, but his body was unresponsive.

He could only manage to turn on his side and try keeping his eyes open. That's when he caught sight of his friend and fellow pilot, Wedge. "What's going on?" he asked him.

Wedge, who had pulled his blaster from his holster, turned toward him in concern. "Vader escaped."

That simple statement gave Luke all the strength he needed to sit up. "What? Vader what? Vader's here?"

His father was here? Aboard a rebel ship? But... how? When?..

"Yeah, he crashed with you into our hangar bay. Quite the pilot, being unable to avoid tangling into you, huh?"

Luke had begun to agree with his friend when a chilling thought occurred to him. "No... he 'is' a great pilot, one of the best... that's why he managed to direct me like he did... I've got to get out of here!" he finished, jumping to his feet- and crumpling straight down to the deck when his legs proved unable to carry his weight.

"Whoa there, Boss," Wedge advised him too late. "Take it easy. Despite the appearances, you've still been through the wringer. Onebee says that you won't be fully recovered for at least another day or two."

"A day or two? But... But with Vader on the lose- how did he escape anyway?"

"By simply walking out of the cell, or so it seems on the surveillance tapes that we managed to recover."

"Just great," Luke scowled and rubbed his forehead as he felt a headache form there. "So where is he now?"

"That's the question. If he left the ship, he didn't do it in any obvious way."

A shiver of forewarning crept up Luke's spine and the Jedi shook his head slowly. "No, he hasn't left... not without me. His plan is to capture me."

"We figured as much, Boss, so I thought that you could use those before we transfer you to other quarters." He turned around and picked up the bundle of clothes that he had left on a chair. It was Luke's newly-chosen black uniform, along with his weapon belt and his new lightsaber. "We'll continue to draw him here; Lando is waiting outside, along with twenty of our soldiers, while Dash is leading a fine-combed search throughout the ship. Chewie and our best commandos will stand guard outside your true quarters, but discreetly, of course."

"Of course. And the clothes are for?" Luke smiled wanly at his reassuring friend.

The dark-haired pilot grinned confidently. "I figured you wouldn't want to show up in front of the troops in this medcenter gown."

"Right you are," Luke smirked slightly, yet even if he tried to go along with his friend's attempt to lighten the mood, they both knew that in the end, Luke would face Vader once again, and that was why he had brought him a change of clothes and his weapon. He had to be ready to fight for his life, no matter what.

After all, no one could stop the Dark Lord of the Sith, not even the whole of their troop in one attack wave; only a Jedi could hope to vanquish him.

It was just their luck – and his own - that their only Jedi, and not even a fully-trained Jedi yet – namely himself - was in less-than-adequate fighting shape right now.

He had a bad Feeling about this.

* * *

Still hidden in a maintenance space that was located under his son's new whereabouts, Vader waited patiently for his son and his guards to grow tired and careless before he made another move.

Then, when the time Felt right, he cut himself an opening through the ceiling, leapt up into the deserted bathroom adjacent to his son's and prepared the inoculators that he had brought for the occasion.

Then, he simply opened the door that connected both rooms, and into his son's.

The boy's guard instantly jerked to full alert and Vader barely spared an iota of his attention to knock him out before the pilot could make any sound to alert the strong Wookiee that stood guard outside. The rest of his senses were focused on the main prize, even while he used the Force to keep the guard's fall silent.

On the couch, Luke was slumbering anew; despite his best efforts to remain alert and ready to fight at a moment's notice, the recovering youth had been unable to remain awake any longer. Careful to keep his presence hidden from his son's senses, yet aware that his trademark breathing sound was already alerting the boy's subconscious to his presence, the Sith quickly stepped up to the boy's side.

There, he set a sturdy hand and the Force over the youth's chest and mind to keep him out and immobile for one extra moment, pushed the inoculator against Luke's neck and activated it.

Despite his precautions, Luke's blue eyes still snapped open and stared in horror at him even as the boy struggled to escape him; Vader held him down even as he used the Force to keep him silent until the drug kicked in.

*No! Get away from me! I won't... won't..." Luke began growling through the Force.

The Jedi never finished his thought before the drug settled in his system and knocked him out for easier handling and transport.

"All too easy," Vader commented as he hauled the weakened Jedi over his shoulders in a fireman position before he went back the way he'd come.

While he was confident that he could make it past any rebel that tried to stop him, now that he had recovered what he had come for, he would not endanger the boy any further.

Hence, he quietly slipped back into the adjoining room, and then the maintenance under-deck; from there, he quickly made his way toward the secondary hangar bays of the frigate.

* * *

Once he had reached his destination, he cloaked himself and Luke with the Force and boarded a well-armed shuttle.

No one ever suspected that he was even in that area of the ship; in fact, the stupid rebels were still waiting for him to show up where they expected him, near the medcenter where they still reported Luke's unconscious presence, as if to bait him.

Of course, had he 'allowed' them to think otherwise, they 'might', just might have considered the possibility of the maintenance passages, or that he could also show up near Luke's actual location. However, the Force had served him well once again and the enemy had not put a hydrospanner in his plans.

Thus, he only freed the weak-minded rebels from his control when he turned on the thrusters of his commandeered shuttle. Then, he performed the quickest lift-off any pilot had ever accomplished.

Everyone present in the hangar bay scrambled away from his suddenly departing – and supposedly empty - shuttle.

Before the Rebels had had time to recover completely from his mind manipulations and understand that he had played them all for fools, he had already made the transition into lightspeed, carrying his precious cargo toward his rightful fate.

At last.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that?

If you want more, you know what to do:) And if you don't want more because of bad characterizations, lack of detail, or anything that could help me improve this story into a more edible read, I'd still like to know why (via private messaging if you prefer). However, if you simply don't like _this kind_ of story, then don't worry. To each our own :)

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :D Moreover, this time, they might make me work on this story first for the next year or so ;P So? Will you vote for it? I hope so!


	2. Chapter 2

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012

* * *

When Vader allows himself to be captured, the rebels soon find out that no one captures the Sith Lord unless he wants to. Can they manage him? Or will he achieve his goal and secure his son yet again?

* * *

Good afternoon everyone!

Here is the second part of the eleventh of eleven stories that I feel like writing, but can't decide which to work on first. Can you help me figure out that answer?

The story with the most readers and reviews will be my next project in the works. So, if you like this one, leave a review to vote for it :)

Thanks for your help! Hope you enjoy this story as well!

On another note, in case you aren't familiar with my writing style or preferences, and to answer Sasha Naruto's anonymous comment, I am a huge Classics L/V devotee. That means that my only sources of information regarding those two, and all the characters I play with, are found in either the Classics movie trilogy, their backstory in the movie prequels (except for the midichlorians that I completely ignore), and the few novels that actually enriched the L/V world with awesome new characters, creatures and plot devices to play with, namely Shadows of the Empire,  Heir to the Empire, and Dark Empire. Other than what is found in those few EU works, if Lucas didn't care to bring it into play in his movie vision of SW, you will rarely if ever read about it in my stories.

As a result, Palpatine will always only ever a Dark Lord of the Sith, or Sith for shorts. I also refer to him by his name, the Emperor, Darth Sidious, or Sidious. As for Anakin, I refer to him as the dark Lord of the Sith, or Sith, or fallen Jedi, dark Jedi, dark lord, Darth Vader, Vader, or Father ;P or even Dad... if it is appropriate :)

Anything else that has been thought up in EUs (and especially anything that concerned the backstory of the GFFA) is of no interest to me, hence nothing I read or write about. To me, this other kind of material is like fanfiction: only a vision, not the source of what I love most in my favorite sci-fi universe, hence dismissible. Therefore, just like I do not read what I do not have interest in, if what you have read so far doesn't fit your vision of SW, move on to other fics that _do_ deal with what interests you :)

However, if like me, you can't get enough of L/V classics AU, then I look forward to, hopefully, entertaining you :)

If I do succeed, please, share your thoughts!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Part 2: custody

When Luke's senses returned to him, he was sitting in the co-pilot couch of an unfamiliar shuttle. He was also securely bound with both Jedi-proof cuffs and Jedi-proof safety restraints – he had reflexively tried to Force open them both, to no avail.

He then became aware of who was with him and groaned in despair. Not again... He fervently prayed the Force to kill him before it was too late… Before the Sith hurt him… tortured him… no, he gritted his teeth against another humiliating sound of defeat and fear.

"No," Vader's deep and evenly modulated voice answered quietly from the piloting seat, "There will not be anymore torture for you, Son. Not 'ever' again."

Luke snorted in answer before he glared in disbelief at his usual tormentor.

The dark lord of the Sith turned slowly toward him, meeting his glare with his blank stare. "We'll be aboard the Executor in less than an hour. It's been lying in wait nearby, waiting for my signal to rendezvous with us."

Oh great, Luke growled inwardly even as he angrily turned away from his captor. It was not enough to be once again in Vader's claws; now he'd also be responsible for the destruction of a third of the Rebellion, whom Vader had now located 'because' of him.

Again, Vader answered his thought. "Unless ordered otherwise, I will not send the fleet after the Rebellion. I need your friends to reach my ends."

Luke snorted in disgust, unable to remain silent any longer. "Sure... as long as they are useful to you, they can live. You are even more selfish that I realized, Vader."

"Sooner or later, Son, you will understand how wrong you are," the imperial answered calmly.

"Don't call me that," Luke growled in retort

That 'did' draw a more heated response from the Sith. "I will call you whatever 'I' want, Son."

While Luke was aware that he had touched Vader's weak point with his denial of their relationship, the Sith's tone of voice also brooked no argument. As always, the dark lord would have his way and that would be it.

"Well, I still won't like it," Luke grumbled resentfully.

The dark lord chuckled lowly at his disgruntled tone and turned back to his piloting.

* * *

When they landed aboard the Executor, Luke jerked out of his light doze.

Between his still-recovering body and the last dregs of the drug that Vader had used on him, he had quickly been lulled back into sleep despite his worrisome situation.

Vader stood up and gestured with his hand. The crash webbing, which had kept him from falling, unbuckled and the dark lord, after wrapping his steel-like hand around his son's left upper biceps, pulled him to his feet before leading him toward the hatch that had slid opened upon landing.

Luke struggled against his tight grip, but it was more out of reflex than true hope of escaping him; the Sith's hand was like a vise around his arm. He also tried to dig his feet into the deck to slow his progress, but he couldn't muster the strength necessary to do so.

Cursed previous crash landing and the remnant of his concussion.

His father had clearly known what he had been doing when he had engaged him during the battle. Luke understood that while Vader had the reputation of being a demanding commander that accepted nothing less than perfection, he was also growing aware that the Sith lord was also a very shrewd and clever tactician.

Indeed, between the trap on Bespin and his new strategy to catch him, nothing much had been left to chance or had even resembled any other strategy anyone had ever heard about.

That realization led Luke to wonder what 'else' the dark lord could have planned and prepared for in regards to his new captivity.

Once they stepped well into the hangar where they had landed, an imperial admiral and troopers saluted their commander but Vader dismissed the troopers while he ordered his admiral to take them back to the rest of the fleet. Then, ignoring his officer's discreet frown of confusion, Vader quickly marched his captive out of the hangar and into the ship proper.

There, Vader's hold on Luke's biceps tightened some more to keep him walking, releasing only slightly when the youth finally abided by his silent command.

While everyone they crossed path with understood that their lord had the prisoner well in hand, Luke's identity still awoke feelings of hatred and despise from most of them. The Jedi did his best to ignore the upset looks that he got from the imps as they walked past them, but he was hard pressed to block their emotions from slashing at his mind and soul.

They finally reached a room that seemed to be their destination because Vader 'finally' let go of his now-bruised arm once the door was closed behind them.

However, he didn't completely released him either; instead, he took hold of his right shoulder and slowly pushed him forward once again. "Keep walking."

Luke, who had been staring in confusion at the strange round structure that was the only distinguishable feature of the room, tripped slightly over his feet before he obeyed both the spoken words and unrelenting physical push.

"This is my meditation/public chamber," Vader answered his unspoken question. This is off-limits for you."

Luke was still pondering the usage of the round structure when a concealed door slid open in the blank wall in front of him; if not for his father's constant pushing, he would have stopped in his tracks out of concern.

An anteroom and another door later, and they stepped into what Luke could only describe as a living room of some sort.

"These are my quarters. You will live here, with me."

The moment that he felt Vader's grip on his shoulder loosen, Luke whirled about even as he finally stepped away from the irritating Dark Lord of the Sith. "No, I will 'not' cooperate," he stated, planting his feet in a semi-fighting stance.

To his discomfort, the taller man shrugged while he motioned with his finger; the cuffs around Luke's wrists opened and clattered to the deck.

Luke stared at them in confusion. How?.. Were they Light proof instead of completely Force proof?

"You won't have any other choice," Vader commented calmly. "I've neutralized your Force and only 'I' can undo it."

Luke instantly attempted to reach out and, to his horror, discovered that he was truly unable to connect with the Force. The cuffs and crash webbing hadn't been Force-proof… 'he' had been. He stared in disbelief at his father. How could 'that' even be possible?..

"Do not worry," Vader reassured him coolly, "it is not permanently gone. You will recover it, but only when I can trust you as my right hand."

"Never," Luke spat in answer. "I will never join you, even if I have to give up the Force forever."

Before he could act on his next intention, however, he was Force-pushed into the nearest armchair. There, he slouched despite himself while Vader stalked closer and loomed over him in all his menacing glory. "I can read in your mind that you are already thinking about how to escape, using only your wits and physical strength like you always did during your first years in the Rebellion, before you learnt more about the Force. It is useless to entertain such thoughts."

Luke blanched, shocked by the Sith's ability to read his mind as if it were an open book.

"Yes, I do," he answered his unspoken question, chilling him further. "Now, if you want to retain the knowledge that you acquired since leaving Tatooine, you will behave. One step out of line, whether resistance to my commands or trying to escape, and I will turn you back into what you were before the Rebellion, i.e. a simple, naive, very easy to control farmboy. I might even erase your memories of 'us' so that we can start anew, wiping the slate clean between us."

Luke was now horror-struck. No... He wasn't ashamed of what he had been before Dagobah, but he just couldn't risk losing what his hardships and trials had taught him... he'd suffered enough to deserve every bit of knowledge that he had pulled out of them. As for their common past, he would not allow Vader to erase what he had finally learn not only at the extensive price of his blood and soul, but at his friends' expenses as well.

"I believe I've made my point clear," Vader stated, remaining above him for a moment longer before he pulled away from the shuddering boy.

Luke, for his part, remained in his seat, staring absentmindedly at his trembling free hands, and then at the dark man who had just crushed his spirit. Frightened didn't nearly cover how he was feeling all of a sudden. "What do you want?" he finally whispered, horrified and beaten.

"I want my son at my side," Vader said simply. "We have lost twenty-one years of our rightful family life, Luke. We will not lose anymore, I give you my word."

The dark lord took a step forward and Luke jerked out of his seat before taking a few step backwards. "You might want that, but who said I did? Do you even consider that I might not want 'you' anywhere close by? You've never, ever been there for me before and now you expect me to let you lead my life? To make my choices of how I live, who I live with and where I do all that? Think again," he concluded, intractable.

To his surprise, Vader shook his head slowly. "I will not lead it, as you say, but I will give you what you truly deserve, even if you don't want it at first. You deserve to live in the higher ranks of the Empire, Son, and that is what you will get either through already-granted privileges that I will provide or through your own efforts to rise to the challenge."

Luke brought his right hand in view. "And I suppose that 'that'-" He had intended to remind him of what he had already given him, but to his horror, his father swiftly drew his lightsaber and laterally swept his blade even as Luke found himself unable to pull away his paralyzed body.

Like on Bespin, the blade sliced effortlessly through his wrist, and like on Bespin, the Jedi screamed in agony. This time, however, he sat down hard on the plush couch that was behind him instead of falling to the deck.

"We'll start with the best prosthetic hand there is instead of that excuse of robotics they served you," Vader explained as if he hadn't hurt him yet again.

Luke gritted his teeth against the scalding pain. "It was fine... you monster!"

Vader stepped closer and pulled him back to his feet despite his physical protestations. "Don't be so childish, Son. You hurt more from the memory of the first cut than from the actual pain of this one. Robotics don't feel anything. I should know."

Luke drew away from him. "You still didn't have to do it again," he snapped.

"Actually, yes, I had to, Son. There are only two ways to stop a fusing between a prosthesis and the body. Either we cut it away at the limit of the robotics, or we surgically remove it, which can result in you losing more of your amputee limb. I wanted to spare you the latter."

With Vader's words, about half of Luke's remaining pain went away. He reluctantly had to admit that he'd heard about the very unpleasant side-effects of surgery and that they did seem much more despicable than the sharp pain of a lightsaber bisection. Still... there had to be a less violent way to do it. Unlike what his captor claimed, it 'had' hurt.

"Well," Luke muttered sarcastically, "perhaps you should've thought about all that 'before' actually cutting off my real hand."

He had the satisfaction of seeing the dark lord's composure falter slightly under his stinging words. However, he didn't show any sign of regret or apology. Instead, he simply motioned toward another door and it slid open to reveal a medical station. "Come, it's about time that you have this seen by a real doctor."

Still holding his new stump and refusing any help from the dark lord, the Jedi slowly stood up and turned toward the open door. He cringed slightly when a medical droid floated into view but he resigned himself.

He just couldn't escape that new round in a medicenter, even if he wished he could.

* * *

Four hours later, Luke had to admit that the treatments he had just received had been much more expert than what the Rebellion had ever offered.

In fact, he hadn't even felt the desire to dub the medcenter: torture center.

After his treatment, during which the droids had first checked his general health and recovery from his recent crash before gently fitting him with a new hand, his father had showed him his rooms and had locked him up for the rest of the night.

Too tired to attempt anything, Luke had simply found the room that held his assigned bed and had collapsed on it.

When he finally awoke, it was by himself, with no one prodding him, urging him or otherwise forcing him to abandon the blissful state of restful sleep.

After drifting in and out a couple of times, and then stretching languidly to try and rouse himself to a more awake status, only to roll back around and yearn for some more sleep, he finally felt awake enough to actually sit up.

His eyes still stuck from sleep, he tiredly rubbed them with his fists - and pulled his right hand away when a the biting jolt came from his tender wrist. Completely awake then, he looked down at his artificial hand and remembered the circumstances of the previous day.

Right, although Vader's personal medical droids had caused him very little pain during their intervention, they had warned him not to use his hand anymore than necessary for a few more days.

Vader…

The dark lord of the Sith had cornered him good and well this time. He closed his eyes, this time in concern. What was going to happen next? The Sith had said that he wanted them to be a 'family' – as if 'that' could still happen, he snorted sardonically – but did it also mean that he wanted him to be a Sith like him? Or would being stuck with him be enough to satisfy the monster?

Slowly, he straightened and looked around himself. He spotted the chrono on his bedside table: 1300. Whoa! He froze in shock. He had 'never' slept in for that long... Had he truly been that exhausted? Or had Vader done something to him – besides cutting off his hand and drugging him, of course.

He turned his attention back on his assigned quarters and took in the room he had slept in. It seemed functional, but also well furnished and the bed was 'exceptionally' comfortable. Obviously, his father had been planning his capture for quite a while.

'Just great,' he thought sarcastically.

He stretched his shoulders some more, scratched his longuish hair with his left hand, and then slowly pulled the blankets away from his lap.

That's when he realized that he was still bare torso, wearing only his boxers like after his general examination by the droids. He had really fallen asleep on the spot, he reflected even as he looked around and pushed himself off the center of the large mattress.

He spotted inset drawers and the door of a closet and gingerly walked toward them. Although he would much rather not wear anything that came from Vader, he had already lost his Jedi uniform and his current coverings were not sufficient. Reluctantly, he pulled open a first drawer - and closed it almost just as fast when he saw the black silk underwear that it held.

He fought down his shudder of unease and tentatively pulled the second drawer open.

To his relief, it held tank tops, short-sleeved shirts and short training pants. Most of them were black, but they were at least made of cotton instead of silk. Satisfied by his discovery, he pulled a shirt and put it on.

Checking the third drawer, he found the long-sleeved and long pants counterparts of the second drawer. He picked out a pair of loose pants and put them on.

He made a point to keep his own underwear – thank you very much – and decided that he would clean them every day instead of ever using any of what had been in that first drawer.

The gall of that man, he fumed – and then shuddered anew at the thought that Vader somehow had to 'think' about that requirement before acquiring them for him. He could only hope that he had done so with minimal instructions instead of precise directives as to what his son would and wouldn't wear even under his clothes.

No, he shivered more violently, he 'really' didn't want to consider that Vader might have spent a lot of time pondering that subject.

Now dressed but still barefoot, he turned his search to the fourth drawer. That one held socks, leather gloves, and belts of various designs.

Luke pulled out the gloves - and instantly threw them into the nearby trash can. He then pulled on socks so that he could warm his cold feet.

Finally dressed enough to be comfortable, he bypassed the large closet and left the bedroom to check the rest of his rooms/cell. The moment he stepped into an office-like space, he spotted the piles of datadisks that were stacked on the desk.

His father had apparently already decided how he would spend his time when locked up in his cell. He stepped closer and read a few of the cards' titles.

He groaned when he noticed that some of the titles were so technical that he couldn't understand them. Others, however, concerned piloting strategies and techniques. Now 'that', he would read with great interest. Then again, he pouted his lips next, there were other subjects he'd just skip altogether.

He put down the treaty on politics without investigating it further.

He then raised his head and noticed computer that was inset in his desk, the holovid station, and, when he turned toward the opposite side of the room, spotted the most surprising part of the arrangements.

A sound system? Never in his life had he ever been rich enough to even afford a station player or any kind of music at home. Some discs were already stacked, as if someone had spent time listening to them, while others were neatly stored in racks. Luke looked at them, curious despite himself.

The selection ranged from great classics to the more popular groups of the present.

He couldn't help but gape in confusion. Now how in the Force had Vader known that he liked those?..

When he found a disk of a group he had heard while in a mission with Leia and Han, he loaded it up and listened to the rich undertones of the romantic melody. He then closed his eyes and allowed himself to remember that particular moment with his best friends.

For a moment, he was free again, free and unburdened by the truth of his family heritage.

He sat beside the speaker for long minutes, before he stood back up and returned to the desk. There, he checked in more details the datadisks that Vader had selected for him.

Jedi knowledge, piloting tips, literature, diplomacy, languages, science, astrography, communication, culture and arts, mechanics, computers, history, legal matters, ethic, protocol, weaponry, administration and management, military strategy, etc, etc.

Luke looked at the discarded disks in utter disbelief. Either he needed all that to be a functional right hand as far as Vader was concerned, or he simply wanted to keep him busy while cramming his brain with everything available.

Probably the latter option, he thought glumly.

*You might just change your mind about my plan, Son,* Vader told him mentally.

Luke started at the sudden presence in his mind. He was still unable to touch the Force, but Vader could obviously contact him that way.

*Come out and join me in the dining room.*

Luke didn't answer but stood up all the same and slowly - reluctantly - walked toward the already-opened door of his quarters. He 'was' hungry, as Vader had apparently planned, again.

He gingerly stepped through the door that led into the living room, unsure where to go next. Fortunately, a droid major-domo, which Luke temporarily confounded with Threepio, guided him toward the dining room.

It was past a sealed 'and' airtight door 'and' down a corridor where more sealed doors were waiting to be open. Luke dimly frowned in curiosity, wondering why those rooms would be isolated like that while the rest of the quarters were not, as he had seen after walking through more of the large quarters.

The door to his left opened and he saw the dark lord sitting at the head of a long table, an empty plate in front of him.

Luke's scowl deepened. Had he eaten? Without wearing his mask? Could he even remove it?

Another plate, this one filled with bread and fruits that smelled delicious even from afar, sat untouched on the right side of the table, close to Vader's seat but not directly beside him.

Giving him 'some' space after all, Luke realized. He slowly sat at the table and was instantly uncomfortable in the high-backed chair. It was too regal to his taste... not at all like who he was.

"I trust you rested well," the dark Lord began and Luke noticed how hard he was trying not to sound patronizing or threatening.

He had to give him points for trying, at least. "I think I was still drugged," he answered blandly.

Vader nodded cordially. "I apologize for that, Son. To my credit, however, I 'did' try to do it otherwise, but you turned me down every single time."

Luke, who had begun to study his overfilled plate, suddenly froze and glared blaster bolts up at his sire. "Perhaps that's because the 'painful' circumstances were never conducive to any other answer, 'Father'."

The youth's fists were clenched on the table, his right hand the latest silent testament to their dysfunctional family relationship. For a long moment, nothing but Vader's breathing punctuated the silence.

"I didn't know who you were," the Sith finally answered, abnormally subdued.

Luke saw red at that and pushed back his plate; his appetite was now thoroughly gone.

* * *

Vader noticed his son's increased ire and grimaced inwardly. That had been the wrong thing to say. Again.

"Oh, and I suppose that would make it all right if I had been anyone else? You tortured me!" the child accused him vehemently. "Son or not, you made me experience such a variety of agonies that you literally killed me too many times to count! You almost took my s- And then when we met again, you hurt me anew even though you 'knew' who I was. You're a monster, plain and simple."

Normally, the dark lord of the Sith would have silenced and threatened the boy long before he had finished his accusations, but that was not a normal situation. Indeed, Luke was not a subordinate, yet he was also not a regular prisoner. Instead, he was his son – the precious boy he had thought he had lost with his beloved wife – and the rebellious child was his currently-unwilling guest.

He 'had' to start acting like the father that he claimed he was.

Therefore, he breathed deeply, forcing his hands flat on the table and well away from his lightsaber while he kept his Force-senses tightly in check.

Then, he could only answer as he wished he had answered Padme when she had accused him in a similar way. "I know. I wish it were otherwise, but it is not. I'm sorry. Now, we can only live with what happened and make our peace with the past."

"Never," was the automatic answer. Again.

Vader slowly shook his head and closed his eyes to retain his short-fused patience. "You don't know the power of the Dark Side, Luke. Do not test my patience any further or I will not be responsible of what happens next."

"And that's your excuse, isn't it?" the boy went on, failing to heed his warning. "That's your excuse for everything. That it is not your fault that you lose control? You're a monster 'and' an immature coward."

That did it! Before he had caught himself, he was standing to his feet and right besides his son's chair, tightening his hand around the boy's small neck.

The child's eyes blazed with hatred but he didn't fight him.

He 'wanted' Vader to kill him, he belatedly realized and quickly pulled away. His son would truly rather die than be with him.

Just like his mother would rather leave him than share the power with him.

He stared at his hand for a long moment, and then back at the simmering boy who was rubbing his reddened neck while glowering at him.

He 'had' to do something about that bad temper of his. It could not go on like this if he wanted to win his son over. Luke was too much like his mother, the stubborn senator and unyielding ex-Queen of Naboo.

With merely a sending of regret through the Force, he quickly turned around and left the boy to his meal. He wasn't ready to deal with the clever and resentful boy yet.

Not without endangering him, anyway.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that?

If you want more, you know what to do:) And if you don't want more because of bad characterizations, lack of detail, or anything that could help me improve this story into a more edible read, I'd still like to know why (via private messaging if you prefer). However, if you simply don't like this 'kind' of story, then don't worry. To each our own :)

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :D Moreover, this time, they might make me work on this story first for the next year or so ;P So? Will you vote for it? I hope so!


	3. Chapter 3

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012

* * *

Previously: Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels and, as per his plans, secured his son. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and kept him locked away in his personal quarters aboard Executor. To avoid being brainwashed from everything he has learnt since leaving Tatooine, Luke reluctantly obeyed Vader's order to behave but he still confronted him about various subjects, which all challenge Vader's intention not to harm the boy again.

* * *

Good evening everyone :)

First of all, thanks to everyone who commented the first posts and/or voted for this story. I'm glad you enjoy it this much already and I hope that your fun will continue with the next part :)

In answer to the anonymous review with questions :

Rose, I promise to do my best not to make Luke only stubborn and whiny, but I had to start somewhere ;P Hopefully, this part will begin to add another layer to his character. However, I have to admit to the guilty pleasure of loving a stubborn and anguished Luke ;P Sorry :)

* * *

And now, here is the third of the eleventh of eleven stories that I feel like writing, but can't decide which to work on first. The vote is still on for a few more parts, so can you help me figure out that answer?

Important! After the fourth part, I will close the first round of the poll and focus/update only the winning story for the next year or so... The other stories will remain available but incomplete until I have finished the winner of your collective choice :)

Said winner will be the story with the most returning readers, reviews and/or alerts and comments through PMs. So, if you like this one, or if this new chapter suddenly makes this story the most interesting of the list, leave a review to vote for it as a whole :) You can also vote more than once for your favorite using PMs ;P

As of today, the vote is heading in the following direction :

1 - Unexpected (478 points)

2- Incarnations (295 points)

3 - The balance of the Force and Deceit are ex aequo (222 points)

In fifth and sixth positions are An Unfortunate Blessing and It is Useless to Resist.

If you want to try and change the direction of the vote after reading this new part, you know what to do :)

Thanks for your help! Hope you enjoy this new post as well!

If you do, please, share your thoughts :D

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Part 3: Expectations

Left alone in Vader's private dining room, Luke leaned back in his high-backed chair, his eyes unfocused while he absentmindedly rubbed his aching neck and throat. Somehow, he could almost still feel his father's unyielding grip there.

And the man was _not_ his father, he mused resentfully... Obi-Wan had been right when he had said that Vader had betrayed and murdered Anakin Skywalker. Luke hadn't known the real Anakin, but Vader was nothing but a violent bully and an egotistical psychopath.

In short, he still was just like Luke had always known him to be based on their previous encounters.

Up to now, he had dimly hoped that his mentor had been wrong and that there had still been some Anakin left in the black suit. However, after their latest confrontation, there was no more doubt left.

Vader might wish to know him and rule with him, he might have also arranged for his comfort while locked away with him, and he might even restrain himself from physically hurting him anymore – though the Sith lord was already losing that battle with himself – but he was also hopelessly overwhelmed by the Dark Side of the Force.

He simply didn't know the true meaning of care anymore.

His father was truly dead, he sadly accepted, and Luke Skywalker was nothing but Vader's prisoner. That meant that he had to escape if he could, and he had to do so as soon as possible, before Vader could implement his plans with him.

On the heels of that thought, however, he unhappily remembered Vader's threat. 'One step out of line, whether resistance or trying to escape, and I will turn you back into what you were before the Rebellion,' he had said.

Luke decided that he couldn't afford to take that risk. He sighed in annoyance and leaned even more heavily against the back of his chair. Force, what had he done to be that Sith's son? And how could he '_be_' his father? What woman would possibly do _that_ with the violent and cruel man? Unless he was an unwanted child?..

He just didn't know.

His uncle and aunt had always told him that both of his parents had died before he was born, his father in a space accident and his mother, upon giving birth to him. However, seeing as to what the truth about his father had turned out to be, could they have also lied about his mother?

Did he even _have_ a mother? He pondered next. Or were the circumstances of his birth either cruel or even, perhaps, scientific? After all, he had read about how advanced science was now able to artificially breed living beings, or to even implant a fecund egg in a female carrier. Was that what had happened to him? But then, if that had been the case, why would his father _not_ be there from the beginning of his life? Had he been with Vader first and then the Sith had lost him? Could he have been stolen from Vader, the Jedi hearing of his legacy project and stopping the dark lord from reaching his goal?

But if the artificial breeding was true, then he would have also aged faster until he reached adulthood, he was rather certain of it. The Sith lord was just _too_ impatient to allow nature to run its course, and even more so if the in-vitro theory was correct.

That led Luke to the conclusion that science wasn't the secret of his origin because he had been a normal child with exactly the same growth rate than any other child.

His only difference had been his lack of living parents.

So where had he come from? He wondered while he distractedly reached forward and plucked a piece of ginger bread from his discarded plate. He slowly chewed on it even as he mentally ran through all the other possibilities.

The more he considered them, however, the more farfetched they seemed to him. Somehow, the yearning he had felt from Vader on Bespin couldn't belong to someone who would merely rape and impregnate a prisoner or a slave, although he could easily imagine a Sith doing so.

A Jedi, however...

And Anakin Skywalker _had_ been a Jedi before he had turned to the Dark Side. Had he been with someone before that had happened? Had he been married ?

While he tried to unravel the secrets of the past on his own, the young Jedi didn't notice how he slowly ate through the rest of his breakfast plate, his hand reflexively picking up piece after piece of delicious food, and his body swallowing it without complaints, while his mind was focused elsewhere.

He didn't even notice all the exotic flavors he had never even suspected existed.

Nothing else mattered right now but the past and the secret of his origins.

He was still lost in his thoughts when the door of the dining room slid open once again. Luke slowly turned toward the sound of mechanical wiring; like he had expected, the droid major-domo had come to fetch him. "Lord Vader requests your presence, young master. Please, follow me."

Luke's first instinct was to remain where he was, but he once again remembered Vader's very potent threat and sighed in resignation. Slowly moving his chair back, he pushed himself to his feet and reluctantly shuffled toward the door. "What time is it?" he inquired softly when he became aware that he had no idea how long he had been left alone.

"1530, young master," the droid answered politely.

"Luke," he responded, waving his hand in dismissal.

"Very well, master Luke. Please, follow me."

Feeling like déjà vu, Luke pouted his lips and fell in step behind the prissy droid. He would never have thought of finding Threepio's twin droid serving Vader of all people. He juste wouldn't consider the Sith patient enough for _that_.

And 1530, he thought more seriously. Vader had left him alone with his thoughts for almost three hours… What did that mean? Could he see some sign of hope that, perhaps, just perhaps, the Sith was trying hard not to antagonize him anymore than he already did?

Or had he instead used that time to figure out how to better force him to his side without having to be wary of betrayal or disobedience from his part? Had he chosen to wipe his memories after all?

Luke's step faltered at that thought and his eyes darted around for a way out- when Vader's dark silhouette seemed to materialize from behind an opening door on his immediate left, effectively making any escape attempt impossible yet again.

"Come in," the Sith said without preamble.

Luke unhappily followed him and the door slid shut behind him once again.

They first stepped into what he surmised to be Vader's office – if the Emperor's harbinger of doom even had such a place – and into an adjoining room.

Once inside the secondary room, Luke dimly reflected that it reminded him of the layout of most planning rooms he had ever stood in. The large holographic table in its center was obviously the tactical table while several screens filled the surrounding walls.

"I wish to clarify your new situation, Son."

"And I wish you'd first answer my questions," Luke retorted, crossing his arms and setting his feet apart instead of sitting in the armchair that his father was pointing at.

Vader, who had already been calling up information on the control pad of the table, looked up and stared ponderously at the youth.

Once again, both stubborn men met each other's gaze without showing any sign of backing down from this new challenge of wills.

In the end, though, the dark lord turned back around and hooked his thumbs in his belt in a gesture of conciliation. "Very well, what do you wish to know."

"Where do I come from? Did you love my mother? Who was she? And why did you leave me?"

* * *

Upon hearing his son's numerous questions, Vader couldn't help but close his concealed eyes in resignation. Of course, he should have known that those were coming his way. After all, it was only normal for the boy to want to know about his origins.

Besides, as someone who had also never really known about part of his own origins, he understood the child even better than anybody else would. His son's last question, however, was the one that affected him the most. "I didn't abandon you, Luke," he answered promptly. "I never knew that you were alive. I thought... I was told…"

"That I had died with Mother?" Luke offered.

"Yes," Vader nodded, subdued even as memories of that cursed day on Mustafar rose foremost yet again in his mind. "At the time, I... I was unable to be with her when she gave birth... and when I was finally able to search for her, her public funeral had already taken place. She… she was still swollen with you... still is, or so everyone can see at her mausoleum..."

"What mausoleum? Where is..? Who was my mother?" the youth frowned and sat slowly in the chair behind him.

"Padme... Amidala Naberrie, beloved Naboo Senator... and adulated ex-Queen of her people."

If the memories of her angelic face weren't so painful for him, he would smirk at his son's suddenly slack-jawed face.

"The warrior queen of Naboo?" Luke finally breathed in disbelief.

Although his wife had led a very well-known and documented public life that not even the Emperor had been able to erase from the history books, mostly because of her prominent role in Palpatine's legal rise to Chancellor, he was still surprised that his son from a tenth-rate Outer Rim planet had even heard about her.

He was even more amazed that he knew her less official title from the urban legends that had spread after the Trade federation crisis on Naboo. "You have heard of her?" he inquired, slowly taking a seat in front of his son.

The boy merely nodded in answer, his eyes gazing blankly in front of him.

"Where?" Vader asked and tentatively touched him on the hand.

Although the boy's instantaneous stiffening pained him, it still had the desired effect and Luke's physical discomfort drew him back to the present moment even as he reflexively pulled his hand away from his reach.

"Leia... Princess Leia told me about her. She was her role model when she grew up. Her father used to regale her with stories of the young Queen and her Jedi protectors... the Jedi..." He locked his shrewd blue gaze on him. "You were one of them... weren't you?"

"Eventually, yes," he answered truthfully. "At first, however, she was protected by a Jedi master named Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice… Kenobi."

"Ben?" Luke frowned in surprise.

"Ben?" Vader repeated, confused.

"Huh, that was Obi-Wan's name on Tatooine. I... He told me about you, but he never talked about my mother as well. How was she?"

For a long moment, Vader pondered what to answer to that important question. There were so many ways to describe the woman who had first captured, and then doomed his heart... So many adjectives that would fittingly describe her and yet still not do her real justice.

In the end, he answered in a word that summarized exactly how he had ever felt about her.

* * *

"She was like an angel," Vader finally answered and, to Luke's ears, it almost sounded like he had whispered the words as if in reverence. "Her beauty was breathtaking, and her strength of heart and will shaped not only lives but the future of her world and of the galaxy as a whole. She always stood for justice and peace, never, ever taking the petty route that most people fell back on when the right path proved too difficult to adhere to. She was a blessing, a star amongst us mortals, a pure soul that died well before her time had come."

"You loved her," Luke understood and he allowed himself to be relieved by that discovery. At least, he wasn't a child born of either immorality or cruelty.

"More than even my own life," Vader nodded slowly.

"How…" he asked hesitantly, "how did she die?"

"I... I don't know," Vader answered after a moment.

Luke scowled at the unusual lack of confidence in the Sith's countenance; after a moment of consideration, he surmised that it was probably because of his admission that he wasn't nearly as powerful and omniscient as he wanted to appear and he decided not to press the issue. "You said that she had a mausoleum. It's on Naboo, I imagine?"

"I will take you there someday," his father nodded calmly.

Luke pursed his lips at the _someday_ comment but decided to only challenge it when the time would come. For now, he could only study his father with different eyes. Granted, he was still a Sith Lord and the enemy of everything Luke and the Jedi stood for, but... he had also loved once,. Furthermore, the youth could already feel – even without the Force - that the devotion that his father had had for his mother was already being applied to him as well.

He was Vader/Anakin's son… the result of his love with the once Queen of Naboo. "If you loved her so much," Luke began, plowing ahead before he lost his nerves, "why did you become evil? Why did you betray her?"

Although he braced himself for a strong reaction, the sudden cooling of the surrounding air warned him that this subject was more than off-limits. "It's complicated," Vader merely answered after a moment of chilling silence.

He then stood back to his towering height, physically marking the end of their first genuine father/son moment.

They were now back to the captor/prisoner dynamic.

"I believe that I have answered your questions. Now, you will listen to me."

Although Luke crinkled his eyes in wariness and crossed his arms in unspoken resistance, his mind was still pondering what he had just learnt.

There was _still_ good in him, he summarized at last. It was deeply buried, and without the Force, he couldn't read him nearly as well as he had on Bespin, but there were still signs of care and even regret in his father's voice.

Since he was here for the duration, he might as well see if he could do anything to make him return to the Light side. His father's care for him would be the key to his redemption, he was certain of it.

* * *

Standing once again, Vader collected himself from his unusual lapse of composure while he monitored his son's reaction to what he had just been told.

While he had been truthful with him about almost everything, he hadn't been able to reveal to him the circumstances of his mother's death. He was still far too ashamed of his unforgivable loss of control that day.

He was also unable to admit how wrong he had been about all his thoughts that had, in the end, fed his fear, turning it into anger and hatred – thoughts driven by Palpatine's deceit, true, but still his own. Now he knew how naïve and immature he had been back then; now, way too late to change anything, he was burningly aware that although he had truly been malcontent with the Jedi, he had still had a brighter future with them than he had had so far with the Emperor.

Indeed, if he were still a Jedi, his body would be whole, his angel would still be alive, and he wouldn't be at odds with his son.

However, what could have been didn't matter anymore. Only the present and the future did, as his master had been drilling into him ever since he had woken up in that cursed armor. He also still stood a chance with his son, like they had both just tentatively proven.

And thinking about the future… "I have already told you that you would eventually be my right arm, but we haven't discussed how we would go about making it happen. I believe the time has come for that discussion."

"Sure," Luke slurred, showing his thorough lack of interest, "as if I have a choice."

Vader ignored his son's latest barb. "Being the Empire's third-in-command will involve much, much more than what you have learnt either as a rebel commander or before, as a student on Tatooine. Even your aptitudes as a natural leader will not suffice. You need to return to school, Son, or at least to home school."

"School?" Luke frowned and pouted. "I"m not going back to _school_," he objected next.

In a way, Vader understood his son's thorough displeasure, aware that the child had not been in a classroom since he had been sixteen years old, a little over six years ago. Back then, he had merely completed his basic degree before he had been roped in full-time doing chores on his uncle's farm. Then, he had eventually joined the Rebellion and, although becoming an officer overnight, he had never really studied for that either.

That much he could gather from his child's unshielded mind anyway.

However, he had sworn to himself that his son would have the best of everything, and that included a proper and complete university education that even he hadn't had before he had become the Empire's second-in-command.

"You are barely twenty-two years old, Son. If you had lived with me before now, you would still be in university, perhaps on Coruscant, but perhaps on Naboo. As for -."

"But certainly not on Alderaan… unless I had been blown to bits with it," Luke retorted sardonically.

"The point is:" Vader dismissed his comment with a wave of his gloved hand, "you are not ready yet to assume that role, even if you wanted to, which you do not at the moment. Therefore, you and I will take all the time necessary to prepare you for it. You have _much_ to catch up with."

* * *

"And if I'm never ready?" Luke tested him further.

"There will be exams, just like regular school, and failure will not be tolerated. There are ways to make someone learn against their wishes, but they are... invasive. Efficient, granted, but they are most unpleasant and have unwelcome side effects."

Luke snarled in answer at that. "Yeah, I have had front row experience of those, but you are contradicting yourself, _Father_. You said that you would never-"

"I am not referring to torture," the dark lord shook his head in negative. "I said that I will never hurt you like that ever again, and I mean it, Son. I was referring to '_flash_' learning. Surely you have heard of it."

Luke felt his blood drain from his face at the mention of the controversial teaching tool that was used to form conscript stormtroopers.

"Of course, you would not be an almost brainless drone like the conscripts become after several sessions, but you would still-"

"All right, all right," the youth sighed and stood up in increasing frustration. "I get it. No way to resist, so study hard and get good grades. What else?"

"Much, much more than the Force and the military, although you will also have to complete the Carida program since you would already be done with it if you had grown up with me," Vader answered patiently. "Now take a look at this diagram and see for yourself what pertains to my position as second-in-command."

A diagram of the Empire's organization appeared above the large display table around which they both stood. The Jedi flicked his eyes up at it, and then focused more attentively on its content when he realized that he had never seen that detailed a diagram of the inner workings of the Empire.

The Alliance would be able to do so much damage if it ever got its hands on this file, he thought, already wondering how he could get it to them- before he caught sudden movement from the corner of his eyes.

He reflexively backpedalled in dread when he realized that Vader was suddenly stalking menacingly closer to him, his large hand already reaching for his head.

Then, there was nowhere else to go; he was backed up against the bulkhead, sandwiched between it and his father's looming figure.

"That's it," the Sith Lord warned the boy ominously. "There will be no more thoughts like this from you. Ever."

And even as Vader began to reach out and probe him and his memories of his life as a rebel - even without touching him - Luke reflexively ducked aside and raised his arms in pointless yet desperate defense. "Okay, stop!" he begged earnestly. "You've made your point. Please," he tried again, locking his blue gaze on his father's unresponsive mask; he could still feel him in his head, but only because of the headache he was giving him. "I'll… I'll stop thinking like a rebel," he stated resentfully through gritted teeth.

"Do you swear to behave from now on?" Vader boomed from way-too-close for comfort.

And he was still in his head, ready to brainwash him if he lied or tried to resist in any way. Luke sighed in defeat and lowered his gaze, subdued. "I… I swear not to think or act like a prisoner anymore," he answered as earnestly and honestly as he could.

He hated himself for saying those words and making that promise, but he was truly not ready to sacrifice the past three years of his life. They were part of him and without them… He, Luke Skywalker, Jedi-in-training and ex-rebel commander, would die...

The grasping hand reached under his chin and made him look up before it turned into a warning finger that shook meaningfully in front of his frightened eyes. "This is your last warning, Son. Never forget the vow you just made."

Luke could only shake his head numbly, all too relieved to have escaped that kind of mental carnage once again. For a moment, he had felt as if he had been back on Bespin's gantry, but unlike on Bespin, he had truly had nowhere to go.

He was well and truly trapped, especially since it was now crystal clear to him that his father could wipe his mind with but a thought; he didn't even have to touch him or be in the same room as he to do so.

In short, without the Force, he truly was at Vader's mercy, even more than he had first estimated.

"Good." Vader turned back toward the display. "Now as I was saying, my role involves much more than my Force abilities or my military experience. However, I have learnt most of those as I went, which is why I still do not excel in too many of them. You, however, will not suffer my frustrations and shortcomings because you _will_ be ready for what awaits you."

Luke pursed his lips when Vader's emblem grew larger after his father touched it with his finger. Aware that he was expected to cooperate as of now, the youth slowly straightened up and shuffled back to the table, suddenly feeling weary to the bone. He was far from happy about the situation, but what else could he do? Nothing…

He exhaled heavily before he reluctantly read the detailed information that had appeared under the enlarged sign.

He thus found out that Vader was, in addition to being commander of the fleet and answering only to Palpatine himself, overseer for the diplomatic process – or what was left of it anyway. He also had clearance for anything pertaining to the imperial intelligence network and he could broker deals of any kind without consulting anyone but the Emperor. Besides all that, Vader also had his own military and scientific projects on the side, working on new ship designs and advanced systems while his scientific projects were mostly of biochemical nature.

"Toxins? You-" Luke had begun to step angrily toward him when his father held him in place with the Force.

"Not toxins, antidotes. Palpatine supervises the development of toxins, and I disagree with him. We never know when he will unleash Death itself with those projects of his so I try to figure out a universal antidote."

"And this is what you expect of me? I have to be able to do all that?" the youth asked dubiously. "I'm not going to be another Vader. I will _not_."

"No," Vader answered calmly while he released him from his Force grip, "you will not be a Sith Lord like me, or even a Vader. You will retain your actual identity. However, if you don't want the Emperor to exploit you only for your incredible Force skills, then yes, you will have to nurture all those other skills and topics of knowledge. Otherwise, you'll truly become his personal soldier and he will have '_complete_' control over you."

"Wonderful." Luke muttered. He crossed his arms and glared at his father. "So basically, you'll teach me, groom me to become like you – except for the dark side, - and then you'll deliver me to the Emperor? And you think of yourself as a father? As _my_ father?"

Vader shut the display of the diagram, replacing it by one of the whole galaxy.

Luke involuntarily gaped at the beauty of the electronic sight, immediately yearning to be out there.

"I will _not_ deliver you to the Emperor," Vader answered in a tone of voice that brook no argument. "You are my son, therefore _my_ right hand. I only seek to make you apt to help me in his service so that he will not intervene in what I wish for you. I told you that I want you at my side, Luke. It is your destiny."

"Really? I thought that killing the Emperor was," he snorted sarcastically.

"I was wrong." Vader lied yet again. "With further meditation, I've realized that we were meant to be together, to rule the galaxy together yes, but under the power of the Emperor. That way, we have more freedom than if we were to kill him."

Luke twisted his lips in doubt but refrained from saying or thinking anything.

He wasn't happy, that much was clear to Vader, but he had also heeded his final warning and had put an end to his rebellion. It was a good enough result for a first day. "Are you ready to begin?"

Naturally, his son grimaced in annoyance and even tightened his hands into fists. However, except for his grinding jaw and clenched hands, his reaction stopped there.

While he waited for the boy to recover his calm, the Sith reflected that while bereaving his son from the Force for the moment had allowed him to easily gain control over him, it was also a good thing that his irascible boy couldn't use the Force right now or he would be headed straight for the Dark Side of the Force, like his father before him.

Since it wasn't Vader's wish, he decided that he would not give the Force back to the Jedi before he had recovered his needed serenity about the situation.

"Let's get this over with," the object of his thoughts finally ground out.

* * *

TBC

Well? How was that? How did you like Luke's theories about his origins? or how Vader answered him? And what about Luke's reaction to Vader's plan to put him back in school :P What do you think will happen next? :)

If you want more, you know what to do:) And if you don't want more because of bad characterizations, lack of detail, or anything that could help me improve this story into a more edible read, I'd still like to know why (via private messaging if you prefer). However, if you simply don't like 'this kind' of story, then don't worry. To each our own :)

Have a great week everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) Moreover, this time, they might make me work on this story first for the next year or so ;P So? Will you vote for it? I hope so!


	4. Chapter 4

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012

* * *

Previously: Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels so as to secure his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced the boy to cooperate with his plans or else risk being brainwashed from everything he had learnt since leaving Tatooine. Luke then found out that his father intended to slowly groom him into the Empire's third-in-command and his own right arm, and that he had organized proper self-schooling for him, and that for at least four years. Oh, joy.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

To answer the questions/comments of anonymous reviews...

Sdogood93, grounding sure is the operational word here :P

N. Ockenfels, in my stories, death is never an option for Luke, but that being said, yes, after years of writing a lot of more typical LV stories, I am now venturing down different creative paths although Vader's goal remain to kill the Emperor ;P Simply put, I challenge myself to come up with settings that I have never written or even never read before. I sure hope you'll continue to find my attempts at creativity entertaining ;)

Guest: Well, I'm thirty-seven years old and not interested to go back to school even for my career, so going back to school with Luke is not _exactly_ what I have in mind... However, I work in the field of technical training and self-learning so... call this fic professional influence ;P I just hope you'll like what I do have in mind for the next parts :)

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

* * *

Here is the fourth part of the first of eleven stories that I felt like writing, but couldn't decide which to work on first.

After a whole summer of leaving the choice up to you, my valued readers, Unexpected finished 1st. Yup, that is the story I will focus on for now :) Expect the unexpected ;P

Please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

(end of part 3)

"_Are you ready to begin?"_

_Naturally, his son grimaced in annoyance and even tightened his hands into fists. However, except for his grinding jaw and clenched hands, his reaction stopped there. _

_While he waited for the boy to recover his calm, the Sith reflected that while bereaving his son from the Force for the moment had allowed him to gain control over him with great ease, it was also a good thing that his irascible boy couldn't use the Force right now or he would be headed straight for the Dark Side of the Force, like his father before him. _

_Since it wasn't Vader's wish, he decided that he would not give the Force back to the Jedi before he had recovered his needed serenity about the situation. _

"_Let's get this over with," the object of his thoughts finally ground out._

* * *

Part 4: Setting his plan in motion

"Good. We'll begin with your knowledge of military strategy." Vader called up another file that he had prepared for this meeting/first test and waited for the recording to appear above the display table. "You have already proven your innate leadership through your command of a squadron, but there is quite a difference between commanding a group of pilots and commanding a battleship and its complete contingent, not to mention more than one cruiser or a even a whole fleet."

Luke snorted in answer. "I could have figured that one on my own."

Before Vader could reply, the recording came up, its hologram frozen on its initial image. "This happened earlier today, while you were still unconscious. I want you to observe and take note of what you would have done differently if you had been the Rebel's admiral."

"The… The Rebel?" Luke gasped, baffled despite himself; that was the last option he expected to be granted by his captor . "You'll truly allow me think for their camp despite what you said earlier?" he inquired, wary and more than a little dubious.

Vader's shoulders shifted slightly, and Luke understood that his father had just shrugged in answer. His bulky shoulder pad just hampered him in that way as well.

Not that Vader ever just _shrugged_, or so he could gather from the tales of the Sith's ever stoic and rigid bearing that had more to do with his arrogance and his absolute will than his choice of apparel-

"You know their ships already," the other man went on, interrupting his thoughts and forcing him to focus back on the waiting display, "and their strategy left much to be desired, so yes, for this first time only, you may watch from the Rebels' point of view."

* * *

As Vader had surmised, his son's interest instantly increased at the prospect of not having to think for the imperial side.

He watched him with interest while the boy stepped around the table so as to stand as if from the Rebel's point of view. Vader nodded in approval; the child was on the right track already.

"Where did it happen?" Luke inquired after he failed to recognize the planet from which the Alliance was clearly fleeing.

* * *

"In the Ategan system, near Sullust," Vader supplied.

It was like a kick to the guts, bringing Luke right back to the present and his very unpleasant predicament, namely to be forced to join the enemy camp, thus having to watch helplessly as his friends and true allies kept confronting - and mostly losing- overwhelming odds.

No!.. "Admiral Ackbar," Luke breathed, aghast. He then quickly studied the frozen display more attentively, paying attention to more details in an attempt to determine if the imperials had attacked the gathering fleet or if they had only found the admiral's group.

"Yes, the Calamarian strategist," Vader confirmed in the silence. "Intel had pinpointed his location on Eriadu. He was supposed to meet with Rebel sympathizers who were still pondering whether to join or not. They chose not to."

Luke swallowed hard, bracing himself for a recording of a rebel defeat while Vader mercilessly activated the playing function of the display.

Right from the start, Luke felt his stomach churn in horror as he witnessed the fearsome TIE fighters' attack. Seen from Command's point of view, and considering what he knew of Ackbar's group...

"They didn't stand a chance," his father answered his unspoken thought.

Luke glared at him before focusing back on the recording.

"Our squadrons pulled a whirlwind maneuver there. Its goal was to generate fear in the enemy and, as you can see," the Sith commented when the rebel fighters disbanded in complete disorganization, "it worked once again."

Luke knew all too well what _that_ looked like from a rebel cockpit, as he had been a regular witness/victim of the maneuver.

To his relief, the Alliance pilots managed to gather their courage and regrouped before facing the TIE fighters even as the two transport ships and Mon Calamari cruiser behind them continued to claw for hyperspace.

Naturally, the imperials also noticed the fleeing capital ships and two destroyers suddenly sliced closer, opening fire on the enemy's main ships.

The moment that their heavy turbolasers penetrated the shields of the rear-most transport, Luke tightened his grip on the edge of the display table, the knuckles of his natural left hand whitened from the strain.

No...

Why hadn't they..? If they had... Or would it have changed anything?.. He wondered anew, now completely focused on the challenges of the past battle.

* * *

From the other side of the display, Vader only had eyes for his son. His young Jedi had a quick mind and a shrewd intuition. From experience, both would always make him one of the best in everything he ever attempted.

And they already had, he reminded himself as he considered what he knew of his son's life so far. Indeed, now he understood why, like his father before him, the child had been such an excellent pilot and commander even without formal training.

Like his father, he smiled thinly in pride, Luke was a born leader.

In the hologram, the TIEs finished the last y-wings and seemed to leave the two transports to the destroyers. Then, they veered away from their retreat and came back on the beleaguered GR-75 ships. Combined with the fire that they were still taking from the destroyers, the transports ended up taking shots from every possible direction; their shields couldn't handle that kind of punch and collapsed rapidly.

Luke started and flinched when a violent explosion marked the end of the transports - and every friend and ally onboard- but then sighed in relief as the Mon Calamari cruiser disappeared into hyperspace.

Yes, Vader conceded unhappily, the admiral had escaped the trap, but he would catch him again, if not on his own, then during the Endor operation.

Between the two Jedi warriors, the hologram dissolved into static; Vader gazed quietly at his subdued young Jedi, waiting for him to react.

He didn't.

"Do you know what was their mistake, Son?" he finally prompted the youth when Luke failed to react on his own.

The boy remained silent, his hands still gripping the edge of the display table hard enough to challenge the integrity of its surface, at least his artificial hand. Then, the Dark Lord noticed the tears that slid down his child's cheeks and decided to give him time to recover from his unpleasant shock and latest grief.

* * *

Luke couldn't talk, couldn't think anymore... He could only stare unseeingly, cry uncontrollably, and try not to throw up. He wanted to get away from the Dark Lord, away from the Empire and anything related to them, but he knew that he couldn't.

"Aside from the fact that you weren't with them, they didn't deploy fast enough. As for the transports, although they have little manoeuvrability, flying in a straight line and heading _both_ in the same direction was the least advisable strategy."

Luke finally shut his eyes, willing his tears to stop. "What... what do you mean, because I was not with them?"

Vader slowly stepped closer and around the table until he was once again within arm's reach. "Surely you've noticed that your group has always survived such attacks while many others haven't. That's because you always picked away my best pilots, which allowed your other fighters to attack our capital ships, thus keeping them away from your owns."

"Huh..?!" Luke answered incoherently, reopening his eyes. He had never thought that he was _that_ good... Unless Vader was only trying to-

"I'm not telling you this to flatter you, Son," his father answered his unspoken doubt.

It really upset him when he did that.

"You are the best there's been in a long while, and you always faced the best of the Empire during your dogfights. I suppose that the Force led you to them because it knew others wouldn't stand a chance against them."

"But-"

"Why did you survive considering our might or our pilots' skills? Because you had the good sense of running away the moment that you could."

Luke paled as he realized that it might already be too late for Leia and the others of his group. After all, if _he_ had been the key to his group's survival, then his captivity could only spell-

"No, don't worry," Vader answered his thought yet again and this time, Luke gave him a truly ice-cold glare of warning to stop doing that.

Vader ignored him. "The Princess is off-limits, and so is any group she is with."

The youth frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"Emperor's orders," his father shrugged slightly -this time, Luke had no doubt about the Sith's abnormally-human-looking gesture and the nonchalant attitude that accompanied such move. "I only know that he has particular plans for her."

Luke's scowl deepened. "That can't be good."

"No," his father agreed with him. "However, if you are already in his favors when he acts against her, you might at least be in a position to save her life."

Although he was heartened by the possibility that, even as an unwilling imperial servant, he might be able to help her, his heart also wilted at the thought that he might have to sell his soul in order to reach that end.

After all, joining willingly would be the only way the Emperor would ever trust him, let alone grant him such a favor… "Then she's as good as dead, or worse," he whined while he turned away and leaned back against the table that he had been gripping just moments before.

To his shock, his father rested a heavy hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "The future is never written, Son. Always remember that."

Even though he shrugged him off almost as soon as he had touched him, Luke was still…

Grateful?

Never, he shook his head.

Comforted?

By Vader? yeah right, he added in derision.

Supported, he concluded. He felt somewhat supported in regards of his trouble to abide by their previous deal. Indeed, this unexpectedly-attentive Vader understood how he felt about what his unwilling collaboration meant for him and his friends.

Whatever his father had been and was nowadays, he _did_ care about his son, at least in some way.

Before he could say anything, however, Vader's comlink went off, calling for his immediate attention. The Jedi slowly raised an eyebrow, perplexed, while Vader called the device to his hand and activated it. "Yes, Admiral?"

"My Lord, General Veers reports a problem in the aft bay."

"I will be there," the Dark Lord answered curtly before he cut off the communication.

"The demands of being in command, no doubt," Luke quipped sardonically as he felt his father's annoyance at the interruption.

"As I said, there is more to my position than using the Force and leading battles. While I'm gone, you may roam my chambers as you wish, but locked doors are off limit." He shook his large index finger at him for good measure, and then turned around and quickly left the planning room.

Glad to be out of his presence for the moment, the youth fell back in one of the nearby armchairs and, pulling his sock-covered feet on the cushion, hé slowly wrapped his arms around his knees and pulled them to his chest before he rested his chin on his knees, feeling more than a little dejected and despondent.

This was bad, he moaned to himself in despair. This was worse than bad…

It was a nightmare.

While he had been in Vader's presence, he had done his best to restrain his tears of sorrow, with dubious results. Now that he was alone, however, he completely let go of his self-composure and finally allowed his withheld tears to flow. He had been holding them back ever since he had woken up in his tormentor's presence.

* * *

When he returned to his quarters, at the beginning of the night shift, Vader was satisfied that everything was once again under control for the upcoming operation. Veers had managed to find his missing weapons, the thief had been caught and dealt with, and intel had reported new leads toward Rebel sympathizers.

There had also been a report from Tatooine. According to his mole in Jabba's palace, Lando Calrissian had made a disguised appearance less than ten hours ago. The spy surmised that others couldn't be far behind and had asked for further orders.

Now that he had his son, though, there was no need for him to intervene anymore so he had told his agent to ensure the success of the operation, but only if the Rebels _really_ needed his help.

After all, they were minus a Jedi in their plan. They would probably need all the help they could get if they were to survive that hive of scum and villainy.

Besides, the Emperor had once again reiterated his command to make sure that the last princess of Alderaan remained alive and safe for the time being. He had no idea why the girl was suddenly this important in his plans, but since he also needed her alive for his own long-term plans, he was only too glad to have the perfect excuse to protect her from afar.

For a moment, he wondered if the girl might have something to do with his son, but he dismissed the thought just as quickly as it had come. After all, it was now obvious to everyone that his son and the princess were not a romantic item like they had been expected to become. As for the girl's strategic value, except than as a source of information, or to humiliate her further after the Rebels' defeat, he really couldn't comprehend why the Emperor would want to spare her whenever she came within range of their _guns_.

Unless, he mused while he stepped past his meditation chamber and into his quarters proper, unless Sidious wanted to use her to blackmail Luke into service.

If need be, he added next while he remembered his last discussion with his master about the delicate topic of his son's servitude.

While the Emperor had not been particularly thrilled with his plan concerning his son's conversion/coercion to their side, the Sith master had trusted his past experiences with the boy and had temporarily given him a free hand in the affair. In six months, however, the monarch would re-evaluate the situation and make a final decision about the rest of the process. In the meantime, he still expected rather quick results in terms of his son's behavior and trustworthiness.

Otherwise, he had stated, he would take over the boy's training.

Still, the results were already encouraging and so, Vader was simply content to be with his son _and_ slowly making progress with him.

Being a father, however, was already proving to be much harder and complex than he had expected.

Thinking of his son, he carefully Reached out with the Force and barely touched his presence. He frowned at the location of his bright presence and headed for his office.

"Sixpeeio?" he inquired when he saw his latest mechanical creation still waiting near the door of the planning room where his son was still holed up.

"Lord Vader, I tried to get the young master to eat his dinner, but he refused to leave the room. I then brought his plate to him and he still didn't touch it."

"What has he been doing in there?"

"Crying, I believe, my Lord."

Tightening his lips in regret for causing him tears yet again, Vader touched the control panel of the door and calmly stepped inside.

The room was darkened save for the hologram of the galaxy that shone brightly above the middle of the table. As if lost in amongst it, his son's blue eyes were the only part of him that could be distinguished from the surrounding darkness. Vader understood that the child was staring absentmindedly at the slowly-spinning hologram, fighting more tears of sorrow.

"You should go to bed, Luke," he advised him quietly.

His son replied just as quietly. "Go away."

The Sith Reached out with the Force and turned off the distracting hologram, plunging them into pitch black darkness.

He then turned on the overhead lights, but only just enough to make out his black-clad glum son from the rest of the darkened room. "The shadows don't suit you, Son. You are too much like your mother."

"Nice try," his son retorted, dead pan before he pursed his lips in distrust.

The Dark Lord stepped closer to the listless boy who was still staring blindly in front of him. Even though he could read him like a book without his usual Force shields, Luke's thoughts were so jumbled and incoherent that he really didn't know how to handle him this time.

"Luke, I know it's not easy," he tried to soothe him. "I don't expect you to fight against the Rebellion and current friends right away either. I-"

"Then why don't you let me be then? If you know what I'm going through, if you _understand_, as you put it," the boy challenged him, locking his blue gaze on him, "why do you put me through it in the first place?"

Vader's throat tightened at the sight of unshed tears in his son's eyes. So reminiscent of...

"I told you that I want to be with you-"

"But why?" Luke insisted, visibly upset. "Why make me do all those things? Why force me to… to... You care, I know it now, but I don't understand why-"

"Because of my master," he answered when he understood his son's true question. He then slowly slumped down in the armchair behind him, temporarily sharing his son's state of discouragement. "I have pondered the situation long and hard, Son, and this is the only way that I can bring you in under my wing _and_ safe from him. He has agreed to my terms, but only because you are blocked from the Force right now, and that I have promised to groom you to serve him. If I were to let you go, he would capture you and this time, your circumstances would be far more unpleasant."

"But I could always escape..."

"You underestimate how close he already was to you, Luke. It was only because of my new suggestion that you weren't captured before I caught you. You were monitored extremely closely, I assure you."

"And if I _don't_ reach your standards?"

"Eventually, he will grow impatient and take care of you in his own way. Again, I do not wish that for you, especially since you would then be coerced into a Sith worse than I am. His will is supreme and absolute, Son. No one denies him anything without paying a price for their defiance. I am merely curbing this attitude from you, but he would literally beat it and rip it out of you…"

When his son shuddered despite the warmth of the room, Vader understood that no further explanation was required.

"Now, it's time for sleep, Son. You begin your advanced education tomorrow. Come."

At first, it looked as if the boy would not follow his example and rise from his seat, but after a few seconds of annoyance, Luke finally rose as well. Vader then watched him grab his untouched evening meal from the table where he had left it before the child preceded him out of the planning room.

Slowly but surely, Vader heartened himself. Slowly but surely, they would mend their denied family bond.

In front of him, Luke asked Sixpeeio for a new and warm plate of his meal, and then headed by himself toward his quarters, on the other side of the lounge/living room.

There was at least one constant in both him and his son, he sighed in relief: he could trust a Skywalker boy to be hungry more often than not.

Shaking his head at his memories of his numerous impromptu snacks during his training and almost up until his accident, Vader turned toward his rooms and sealed them behind him.

Now that Luke was secured in his own quarters for the night, it was time for him to remove his armor.

Tonight, he really looked forward to it.

* * *

Unlike the previous day, Luke's second morning aboard the Executor began in the wee hours of the morning. Although the farmboy-turned-Jedi was usually an early riser, the sudden illumination that brutally pulled him out of his deep slumber made him grumble in complaint before he reflexively pulled his blanket back over his head and turned away from the upsetting glare.

Even his demanding uncle used to wake him at a more decent hour.

Try as he might, however, he couldn't fall back asleep, especially not when an alarm went off from Force-knew-where, its strident call forcibly rousing him further. Exasperated and more than a little upset, he finally admitted defeat and pushed himself out of the warm cocoon of his comfortable blankets and into a sitting position. The alarm still didn't stop.

Cursing in Hutteese while he pushed himself toward the edge of his oh-so-comfortable and very large mattress, he began to search for the origin of the blaring noise, to no avail. He was still rubbing the last remnant of sleep from his eyes when he finally stood up - and the alarm stopped just as automatically as it had begun.

Motion sensors, he surmised in annoyance while he scanned the wall for the said-sensors. If he could locate them, and could hope to disable them... But of course, that would be too easy and convenient, he conceded after a half-hearted moment of searching.

What time was it anyway, he wondered and turned toward the clock on his right side table. He blinked in uncertainty. 0515? This couldn't be right, he first thought and stepped closer to the malfunctioning clock. He then remembered the holonet pad that he had been using before going to bed and turned it on to compare the two time dials.

It was exactly 0516, and Luke huffed in dismay. That was _wayyyy_ too early for anything interesting to be happening...

He sat back on his bed and flopped down on his back - and the alarm went off again, this time louder and even more strident than before.

"All right, all right," he grumbled, reluctantly pushing himself back to his shuffling feet. The alarm only died out after he was standing once again. Throwing on the bathrobe that he had found in his 'fresher the night before, he stepped out of his bedroom and into his dayroom. He noticed that his outer door was open; understanding the silent invitation/command, he reluctantly dragged his feet all the way to the rest of Vader's quarters and toward the dining room where the droid had directed him when he walked past him.

Once again, his father was already sitting at the end of the table, his plate already empty.

"What's the emergency?" Luke grumbled, falling more than sitting down in his chair and wondering if he could catch some more sleep once he would be alone for the day.

"The first shift of the day begins at 0600, Son. As you already know, a good commander reports early for duty and leaves late, after everything is in order with his subordinates."

"And _I'm_ supposed to be a Forceawful early riser," the youth muttered sarcastically under his breath. "Good troops can also be autonomous for a while, can't they?" he then challenged resentfully.

While he had always been aware that the generals of his groups – including Leia – caught far less sleep than any of the troops or techs, he had never heard of them being up this early unless there was an emergency, or that they had pulled an all-nighter… or that they couldn't sleep.

Otherwise, an early day could start at 0700 and still be quite efficient while preceding the change of shift at 0800. However, the shift supervisors could also oversee the operation without further surveillance and everything would still run smoothly.

"In the Rebellion, perhaps," Vader shook his head at him. "However, the Empire runs things differently, and _I_ especially lead by example. I expect no less from you."

"Count me out for leading by fear, though," Luke snorted reflexively while he belatedly spied the waiting cup of steaming caf and leaned sluggishly toward it.

The silence that followed that statement was almost deafening in its abruptness as even Vader's mechanical breathing seemed to stop for a moment.

The tension of the moment woke Luke further and he forgot his attempt to pull closer the cup of caf. Hesitantly, almost fearfully, he slid his blue eyes toward the ominous figure that sat like a shadow nearby.

"If you figure another way to deal with incompetency _and_ that it proves to be efficient, then by all means, don't hesitate to share it with me. In the meantime, this is how it is and, in time, you will learn to do what is necessary, not only what you wish for."

Luke let go of the breath he had unconsciously been holding; he had been bracing himself for an explosion of anger, or even a threat of consequences, but none had come. He was greatly relieved, aware that with is mind still fogged-up from too little sleep, he wouldn't have dealt well with those.

If at all.

"Well," he cleared his throat to moisten it a little, "I've had to deal with my share of incompetents in the squadrons and we have never killed anyone for it. Fired, demoted, or spent extra-time training, yes, but killed or publicly executed, never."

"And is that _efficient_?" Vader inquired, leaning back slightly while he seemed to have shrunk in size now that the storm was over.

"Well-"

"Did you have to repeat the interventions over and over again per lack of collaboration? Did you attract blundering fools because they knew that they could get away with their incompetence? Did they become better at what they did even after they received extra training?"

Luke, who had begun to look at the content of his appetizing breakfast plate, refocused his attention on his sire and scowled in resentment. "Well, no, I mean, yes, it didn't always work, but at least it-"

"Then I believe that I've made my point, Son," Vader commented, gesturing confidently with his right hand

"And that's still not my style at all," Luke refuted in kind.

Both men gazed at one another, aware of their differences yet the Sith Lord let them be, for once. Luke finally took hold of his cup of caf while Vader sat quietly, watching him.

"Have you had time to peruse your schooling schedule?" the Dark Lord finally inquired after the boy had sipped at the cup's stimulating content for long minutes before he finally set it back on the table.

Luke's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Schedule?

"It is waiting for you on your desk, but here's a copy of it," Vader went on, pushing a datapad in his direction. "Follow it rigorously, Son. As I said yesterday, there will be tests, daily exercises to monitor your progress, and you will go through accelerated courses, so you won't have time to catch up if you lag behind. The Emperor's advisors arranged for various institutions to match you with a tutor that will be available to answer your questions and evaluate your performances. They also helped to adapt the regular curriculums to your particular situation. Thanks to them, your lessons will allow you to learn on your own and in less time than normally required to complete each course."

Luke was still staring in disbelief at the lit data, too flabbergasted by the detail of the organisation that had taken place before his _arrival_ in his father's custody. Just how long had they been planning his life for him?..

"You will study on your own from 0600 to 1900, with a thirty-minute break to lunch, and another for diner. From 1900 to 2130, you will train with me on the more physical aspects of your curriculum. Unlike regular students, you will not have days off. As a result, you should be all caught up in a little under four years instead of ten."

And by then, Luke stared, unblinking, he would soooo look forward to ending this boring nightmare that he would willingly serve as his father's right hand.

Now he knew how clever Vader truly was.

"I can't study for four years straight!" he finally argued in disbelief. Sure, he had always been curious by nature and liked to learn new things, but leisure reading, or even chosen training and- and compulsive training were very different things. And from 0600 to 1900? Every day? Somehow, he'd prefer being locked in a torture room and beaten daily than face _that_ kind of inescapable and psychological torment. In the torture room, he at least didn't have to collaborate, twisting the knife of his unwilling servitude in his heart and soul with each new action required of him.

"As time goes, you will have _practicum_ courses as well, which you will spend fulfilling duties for or with me. That way, you will ease into your new role instead of being thrown into it like I was. Believe me, there is more than one way to torture someone," Vader commented in what sounded like resentment to his son.

"Yeah, and so is that school thing you're pushing on me," Luke retorted, pursing his lips in disgust. He grimaced further upon reading the details of his day's schedule, and then stopped on one topic. "What about my courses in advanced flying techniques? Where will they take place? With you out there?"

"In a simulator. Until the Emperor gives his avail, you are to stay in my quarters, Son. Everything you need for your apprenticeship is available here. Sixpeeio will show you the way to the training area when the time will come."

"Sixpeeio?" Luke frowned, this time in surprise. Now, that was way too close to his droid's own name to be a coincidence. "Where did you get him?" he asked while he began munching on some spicy bread.

After Vader had laid out the basic organization of his forced schedule, he had realized that while they talked, time was running and soon, he wouldn't have time to eat anymore... If he wanted to eat before he was forced back in his invisible cell of forced training, it was now or never.

"I built it," was Vader's shocking answer and Luke choked on his bite of food.

"B—built?" he breathed when he could catch his breath. "You mean-"

Vader shrugged in answer. "I told you that there was more to me than what you know. I have always had an affinity for mechanics and electronics. When I was still a child, I built a first prototype that wore the serial number C-3PO. I have perfected the design since then and Sixpeeio is the latest version of it."

Luke could only stare in disbelief at him. Threepio! He had said Threepio, hadn't he? But how?..

"Yes," Vader confirmed with his unspoken question. "My first droid is now property of your friend, Princess Leia."

Luke instantly suspected the worst. "Are you spying on her through him?"

"No, I don't know how Threepio ended up with her, and it doesn't matter. His memory has been wiped since we last saw each other, and I am not the same as I was back then either."

"So you knew that I would be familiar with your droid's design and you still let me figure it all out," Luke accused him, unhappy by his father's deceitful attitude toward even that kind of inane topic.

"I wanted to test your deductive skills. You are quite intuitive, Son, even without the Force. That is good."

The youth merely glared in response before he silently focused back on his food and began eating. If he weren't blackmailed into obedience, he would jump the dark lord right there, right then.

He was already fed up with the other's mind games and trials.

* * *

TBC

Well? How was that? How did you like Luke's and Vader's first training session? Luke's reaction to the content of that test? Or Luke's awakening circumstances? How about the details of his schedule? Anyone want to trade with him? ;P

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long! Moreover, they can make me write and post faster than scheduled, so ;P The ball is in your hands ;P


	5. Chapter 5

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012

* * *

Previously: Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels so as to secure his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced the boy to cooperate with his plans to groom him into the Empire's third-in-command or else risk being brainwashed from everything he had learnt since leaving Tatooine. Luke then found out that his father had organized proper self-schooling for him, and that for at least four years, as well as fully stocked private quarters that had been clearly planned for a permanent stay by its intended resident. Oh, joy.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

To answer the anonymous review of Rose, normally, I don't do helpless Luke, but for once, I am venturing down that territory and this fic will be about how he deals with it. If what you want are forever-resisting Lukes, you will have to look to my other fics but if you can bear up with the character study such a situation can lead to, then I can promise you one thing: the Light will win :) It will only be a long while until then, or at least in regards to its ultimate victory ;P Thanks for your comment and I hope you'll continue to have fun :)

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

Everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Part 5: Sorrows

From the head of the table, Vader watched while his upset son slowly ate his breakfast. The boy had obviously understood that if he didn't eat now, he wouldn't eat again before lunch.

He was very intelligent and intuitive, indeed. It greatly pleased him.

He was also beginning to know Luke a little better and, like him, the boy preferred to be told things at face value instead of being spared a fact because it might be harmful or disappointing to him.

That, too, would be a very useful character trait when he would officially join the Empire and become his right hand. His underlings would learn quickly not to hide anything from him, or to try and keep facts from him for that matter.

"The procedure to contact your different tutors will be explained at the beginning of each course. Some will be available in real time while others will only be available at given times. In such cases, take note of your questions so that you can ask them when they can answer you."

His son groaned in answer but otherwise ignored him.

"And from now on, Son, never leave your rooms undressed. It is not proper to be seen in your sleep clothes, not even in your private quarters."

"Says the Sith Lord who _never_ changes attire anymore," the youth retorted sarcastically around a mouthful of spicy bread.

That shocked the Sith mute and Vader drew back before he sat a little straighter. Although the boy was clearly not aware of the reason why his father was always ensconced in that dreadful armor, it still stung hard to be reminded of this unpleasant fact by him.

"If I could," he finally commented quietly, "I would _gladly_ change attire almost as often as your mother did sometimes."

* * *

Luke, who had been resentfully spearing fruit bites with his silver fork, stopped in mid-motion and turned toward him. "What do you mean, if you could? Can't you? You eat without your mask, and-"

"This suit keeps me alive, Son. I can only eat solid food in a special and hyperbaric environment where I can breathe without the mask. The increased air pressure is adapted to my needs, but you would not remain conscious for long in that kind of environment. That is why I never eat in front of you."

"And the rest of you? Can you sleep? Shower? Anything that requires it off?"

Vader slowly shook his head while he stood up and Force-opened a door to their right. "I can only do those basic actions with very-specialized help, and as for sleep, I can only sleep in a sitting position. The mechanic in my body doesn't allow anything else. Come, I will show you what I hide in my private rooms."

Although Luke was horrified by what his father had just revealed to him – not to mention what he himself had unknowingly brought up when he had challenged him about his armor - he found himself obeying him and standing up before walking up to his father's side. He still didn't like the older man, but he still followed Vader inside the revealed secret door, subdued despite himself by the unthinkable nature of what he had just discovered.

Like everyone else in the galaxy, he had always thought that Vader wore his trademark armor to frighten people, or, before Bespin, because he was not human and needed a mask anyway to breathe regular air. Unlike others, however, he had not bought into the _droid_ theory, but still...

Who could have thought that Vader was actually _imprisoned_ in his armor because of some sort of accident?..

"What happened to you?" he half-whispered with great difficulty, the words barely making it past his constricted throat.

"One of my duels... with Obi-Wan Kenobi," the Sith Lord paused on the name and even though he didn't have the Force, Luke sensed his hatred for the dead man. "It turned uglier than ugly... and after my defeat when he cut off three of my limbs, I… I burnt alive."

Luke stopped short in redoubled horror even as he shrank back when the lights turned on in their destination, revealing the numerous droid arms and medical devices that filled the room where he had brought him.

* * *

"_He_ left me to burn," Vader went on, his voice grating in growing resentment and hatred, "but Palpatine found me and saved me thanks to this suit."

"What about healing you?" the boy inquired, more than subdued by the horrendous secrets of the past. "Surely-"

"Except for giving me cloned new limbs, even modern medicine can't help me. I tried everything..."

"Even the Force?"

"Even that."

* * *

Slowly, hesitantly, the youth stepped closer to the hanging devices, studying them while trying to imagine what his father had to go through just to live. "Does... Does it still hurt?"

He was actually petrified when Vader nodded in assent. "Every day," the Dark Lord of the Sith answered quietly.

"I..." Luke was mute from shock. This was so horrendous, so much worse than _anything_ he had ever thought possible, even after being told about his father on Bespin. "I wish... there was something... something..."

Yes, Vader was still his enemy and would always be, but he was also his father now... and he was human. Furthermore, he had once been like him... healthy and normal looking... and it was his best friend who had deprived him of his health.

He watched in silence as the Dark Lord slowly stepped closer to him; Luke craned his neck when the towering form came closer still, unable to tear his eyes from the man who had suddenly become a whole new enigma for him to solve. He then froze completely when Vader slowly raised his gloved right hand and barely rested his leather-covered fingers against his left cheek before he almost hesitantly brought the rest of his gloved hand closer.

"Having you here, with me, and getting to know you is already helping to diffuse the pain, Luke. It makes me forget it for a little while."

Luke felt his eyes water upon hearing those words but, although he would never see Vader the same way anymore, he was still not ready to show him further weakness than he already had. Hence, he closed his eyes, squeezing the annoying moisture from them, before he slowly nodded in comprehension.

Father and Son then gazed at each other, neither moving from their physical contact. Then, with obvious reluctance, the Sith pulled away and motioned his son back the way they had come. "It is almost 0600, Son. I need to report to the bridge, and you need to finish your breakfast."

The Jedi merely nodded in obedience and preceded Vader out of the room. Even more than when Vader had threatened him the previous day, Luke was utterly subdued and filled with dread.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how an event like his father's accident could change the good man that his father had been into who he had become.

However, he could now understand why it had happened.

Yes, now he understood perfectly why his father had become a Dark Lord of the Sith and the Empire's second-in-command.

The man had simply lost _everything_...

Everything...

* * *

More than ten hours after he had revealed his private rooms to his son, Darth Vader was still mentally and emotionally unbalanced by how much he had shared _and_ confronted earlier today.

He hadn't meant to show to his son this part of his life just yet. However, the subject had come up so abruptly, and with such vehemence, that he had had no choice but to answer Luke's unspoken questions.

The best way to do so had also been to _show_ him what his life was truly like when he wasn't in public, and unfortunately for him and Luke, it was worthy of a horror holoflick.

He had seen at least that much in his son's distraught blue eyes even before the child's waves of despair had rolled off his presence to assail the normally cool shores of Vader's mental barriers.

Worse, his son's compassion had reminded him so much of _hers_ that he had unconsciously lowered his barriers to feel more of it. Doing so, though, he had also allowed his child's sorrow to settle more firmly into his own heart, and those unusual emotions had continued to bother him throughout the day.

Thus, as per his routine, he had met with his subordinates and had arranged for the next deployment against the rebels, but he hadn't been his usually commanding or exacting self with them. Later on, he had also supervised the sensitive work on the front shield of Executor, but even with mechanical and technological work involved, he hadn't been nearly as focused or as motivated as he should have been.

Instead, he had been somewhat aloof, even detached, while his thoughts kept going back to _that_ day...

That cursed day when he had taken everything from himself, namely his friends, his brother, his health, his angel, his son... his soul.

As a result of his moping around all day long, he was less than enthused by his plans for the evening. Indeed, if he didn't have to handle Luke's training in the art of self-defense, he would be retiring straight to his quarters and wallow further in his self-pity and darkness, not allowing a single ray of light to shine upon his deformed and half-robotic figure.

However, just like Luke had abided by his promise to him and had followed his loaded schedule to a T, so must he. He couldn't very well skip on his responsibility and put his son in danger, now could he?

What kind of example would that give to the already less-than-motivated boy?

Certainly not the example he had been preaching by earlier in the day.

* * *

When he finally crossed the door of his inner sanctum, he went straight in his son's quarters, which were unlocked. He found the boy finishing his diner while watching the holovid.

Vader frowned at the sight of the news channel. Soon enough, Luke would understand how falsified the information transmitted by those channels was.

He then noticed that the boy had changed into clothes that would be perfect for the rather gruelling physical training session that awaited him. Then, when he stepped even closer to the still sitting child, he took note, not without some fatherly pride, that the tank top and lose training pants rather enhanced his son's athletic figure.

During their previous encounters, he had always been aware of the exact shape the boy was in, but for the first time, he was pleased that his son was not only in really good health, but even well-built.

Vader could only surmise that Luke had inherited his father's natural physical strength, which could only increase when put through the rigours of any kind of training involving the Force.

Thus, Luke was no slouch, but then, living first on a moisture farm, and then with the underfunded rebellion did make it hard for him to gain much weight.

As for his muscles, they looked already well-toned and supple, which could only mean that the boy had gotten plenty of opportunities to flex them and put them to the test, the last of which had been his training on Dagobah.

Normally, the discovery of a living Jedi master would have sent him rushing after him, at long last, but the condition in which Yoda appeared to be had convinced him to let the old alien die peacefully.

He would soon be one with the Force anyhow.

"I see that you're ready. Come," he instructed him shortly when the child looked at him sideways before he sighed in resignation.

Still unhappy to be told what to do, Vader accepted and didn't comment outloud. As long as Luke didn't resist any further than that, there was no need to intervene further.

His attitude would fix itself with time.

The equally-moody Dark Lord silently turned heels again, leading the way out of the open quarters while his son slowly walked after him. Vader could feel the child's desire to resist in some way, or to even merely get to know him better, but the youth was also beginning to know him enough to understand that it was not a good time to displease him.

Luke wisely held his tongue and, other than throwing him an askance glare, trailed after him toward the common room of their joined quarters.

Vader stopped and that and turned his helmeted head toward the annoyed youth- when he

suddenly felt a thoroughly unexpected presence nearby, a presence that shouldn't be anywhere close by.

He reflexively grabbed the boy's bare arm as he walked past him and firmly held back before he defensively pulled him behind his imposing and strong frame, purposefully interposing himself between his child and their unwelcome visitor.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? How did you like Luke's and Vader's new moment together? Luke's reaction to his father's secret? Or Vader's to his own revelations? And who do you think came knocking? ;) Anything else to share?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long! Moreover, they can make me write and post faster than scheduled, so ;P The ball is in your hands ;P


	6. Chapter 6

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012

* * *

Previously: A few months after the duel of Bespin, Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels so as to secure his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced the boy to cooperate with his plans to groom him into the Empire's third-in-command. After a first few confrontations over ideology and visions of his future, Luke found out about his father's past tragedy. After that, he reluctantly began his forced advanced schooling program. Vader was then planning to begin his self-defense training when an unwelcome visitor came knocking at their door. Vader instantly pulled his son behind him so as to stand between him and the unwelcome visitor.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

I answered the signed reviews so now for the anonymous ones :

Roseforever: thanks! the answer will be revealed early in this next part :) I hope you'll enjoy it :)

see180movie: yeah, sometimes, I do cliffies, too ;P Hey, I'm served enough of them as a reader myself ;P But I know how they feel and so, I only do it when it's absolutely unavoidable ;P I have to ask: what do you mean by keeping the story clean? Do you mean in terms of violence? grammar? or style?.. Thanks for the comment :)

guest: thanks! Here's more.

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

Everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D

* * *

After last post, I realized that I forgot to give the results of the survey. Well, in case you didn't figure it out on your own from the only two stories that I updated, Unexpected and An Unfortunate Blessing finished ex-aequo. Therefore, I am now focusing only on those two stories.

However, that doesn't mean that the other stories will be abandoned as I still feel like visiting them from time to time. As a result, I will probably update them as well from time to time, like during vacation time or long week-ends. So, if you want to share your thoughts about them as well now that the vote is over, please don't hesitate I always love to hear from readers

And on with the new part of Unexpected Be warned… expect the unexpected

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

"Hey!" was Luke's indignant reaction, but before the child could complain further, the door of Vader's public room slid open – under the control of the man who had decided to test his apprentice through a surprise visit. As usual with the said man, two red-clad royal guards swiftly preceded him inside, expertly assessed the threat he and Luke represented, and then stood back on either side of the door while the Emperor himself walked inside.

Even without the Force, Vader would have felt his son's shock and skyrocketing dread; Vader held him tighter even before the boy had begun to back away from his father and their arch nemesis.

It just wouldn't do for the child to attract the Emperor's wrath with his lack of proper submission, thus he physically kept him in check.

"Master," Vader bowed deeply before he knelt, still holding onto his son's left wrist.

Meanwhile, Luke was staring in unconcealed terror at the enshrouded galactic tyrant, pulling as strongly as he could against his father's vise-like grip on his wrist so as to escape the encounter and the Sith master's bloodcurdling presence.

"Rise, my friend," Sidious bid him yet his eyes were locked on the struggling rebel Jedi who was now straining with both hands to wrench himself free of his father's unbreakable grip. "I apologize for the subterfuge," he went on, and Vader knew that he didn't regret his choice in any way, "but I wanted to catch your _guest_ unprepared."

And that he did, Vader conceded although he had a bad feeling about this sudden and unexpected visit from his master. After all, Luke was _nowhere_ near subservient enough to be ready to meet his new master, let alone show the proper respect to him, as the child was already proving through his desperate attempt to escape from the impromptu meeting.

Vader reluctantly warned his son to stop by tightening his grip around the boy's real wrist, threatening the integrity of his fragile bones.

Luke hissed and reluctantly stilled while Palpatine watched the silent interplay with avid interest.

* * *

Although he couldn't see much under the deep hood that covered the Sith's head, Luke felt completely exposed under his unwavering glare. Worse, even though he already regretted wearing a tank top tonight, as it made him feel physically exposed, the Emperor's mere focus on him made him feel completely naked, not only physically, but also in regards to his thoughts and feelings. Like Vader, the Emperor carelessly read his thoughts like an open book, but unlike his father, the despot wasn't trying to salvage a bond of some kind with him.

He wanted _him_, plain and simple, and he took what he needed to figure out his weaknesses and what not without a concern about the recipient of that mental invasion.

"Welcome to my Empire, young Skywalker," the evil ruler bid him at last. "I have been looking forward to meeting you."

Luke bit his lips against an insult that would undoubtedly put him in trouble with both the Emperor and his father. Given what he had learnt already about his nemesis, he had no intention to test that theory further.

"I see that you have chosen to obey, Child," the Emperor commented, stepping closer still. "That is most wise of you. Perhaps, your father is correct in his assumption that you can be useful to me."

In answer, the ex-rebel shifted his eyes and glared blaster bolts at the black-armored hulk that kept him from moving away from the approaching tyrant. Vader met his resentful stare without any visible regret.

"You do have your mother's spirit, my boy, but you have your father's looks. You have also inherited his Force potential," Palpatine began, turning back toward his towering servant, motioning him to let him go. "However, _that_ is not something I can allow."

Luke had barely begun to step away after being released that he found himself violently shoved backward _and_ forced down to the deck by an invisible pressure . Meanwhile, Vader was equally pushed away from him before being held back at the point of two Force-pikes, one under his chin and the other against the underside of his chest panel.

"Ever," the Emperor added meaningfully, turning briefly toward Vader while he stepped up to the boy's prone form.

Luke, who had barely managed to push himself back to a kneeling position, suddenly noticed his father's abnormal rigidity.

He had a _really_ bad feeling about this.

Before he could duck or otherwise avert what happened next, the Emperor snapped back toward him - and uncoiled his hands with the speed of a snake. He cruelly grasped his hair even as he ram hard into his mind.

Luke could only howl at the burning agony of having that viper-like presence slither into his mind, searching, plowing, removing -

The youth then shrieked when Palpatine finally found what he had been looking for.

There, he not only solidified Vader's previous block around Luke's Force awareness, but he also built several more layers of mental blocks of his own until he was certain that not even Vader would find a way to undo them, let alone the boy or any other weaker Force user.

* * *

Meanwhile, Vader wanted to defend his son from what his master was doing to him. He wanted to put an end to the boy's pain, but even without the threat of the royal guards, he would have held his peace.

He knew better than to endanger his son like that.

Hence, he tightened his mechanical hands into fists for as long as the overcome child howled in agony, and then breathed more easily after the Emperor's mind withdrew from the half-conscious boy.

"There, now that is what I call a block, my friend. Yet," he added, as if in afterthought.

Sidious turned his attention back on the weakened boy, and Vader felt his remaining blood freeze when he spotted a green-filled syringe in his master's hand.

Now he _really_ had a bad Feeling about this.

Reeling on the deck in front of him, Luke's senses had barely begun to recover from the Emperor's unforgiving assault that the despot viciously jerked his head back yet again.

This time, Palpatine pulled him backward until his head couldn't go any further even as he used the Force to bind the child in place. Luke moaned half-consciously while he reflexively struggled against his invisible bonds, but to no avail, of course.

* * *

Given his half-aware status, the brat didn't even have time to brace for the painful injection before Palpatine aimed at the Jedi's jugular with his abnormally long needle; with a twist of his frail wrist, he jabbed at the skin before inserting the needle as deeply as it could go inside the artery, careful to remain within the main blood vessel and not damage his future servant anymore than necessary.

From this strategic point of entry, the solution went almost straight to the boy's heart, and from there, was distributed practically right away into the rest of his body, including his brain.

The child was naturally caught in throes of agony but Sidious held him completely still _and_ silent so that he didn't endanger his life with the long needle that he had guided with the Force and that was still delivering more of the unique ysalamiri Force-removing solution.

Before long, the Light-infested Force-presence of the youth disappeared from his senses even though the boy was still very much alive and _mostly_ healthy.

A few minutes later, Palpatine's own Force-senses were temporarily neutralized, confirming the creation of the second side-effect that he was planning to use against his traitorous right hand.

He carefully completed his slow injection of the permanent ysalamiri drug, revelling in the dread that blanketed the icy blue eyes of the horrified boy; when the syringe was finally empty, he slowly removed the needle from his new slave, and then watched with undivided interest as the boy shivered violently – the expected reaction for someone of his incredible potential – and then threw up and fainted.

Yes, he surmised with satisfaction, _this_ would do. While no one but him would be able to restore the boy to his Force-awareness, Vader would also not only be unable to sense his child anymore but he would also be bereft of the Force whenever he would be within three meters of him – a fitting punishment for his unfaithful servant who had looked forward to sharing his Force connexion with his offspring.

Speaking of whom, he turned toward the bristling Dark Lord and motioned to his guards to let him go. They silently bowed and returned at their post by the door. "There, my friend," he explained, mock-kindly. "_Now_ you can have your puny son and do with him as you wish. He is no longer of any concern to me. You may even flaunt him about if you wish, but," he added, his voice turning cold and bitter, "never, ever bring him within less than fifteen meters from my presence or he will die right there, right then."

He then waited for his chastised slave to prove that he had once again learnt his lesson about fomenting plans against his master and that he would behave from now on.

With only a moment of hesitation, Vader bowed his head and knelt obediently before him. "As you wish, Master. Thank you, Master."

"Good. And now that this has been dealt with, you will go to the Death Star and hasten its construction. It is once again falling behind schedule."

"What of the rebel fleet massing near Sullust?" his subdued servant still inquired despite his unequivocal orders, as he was wont to do nowadays.

Although the son, when properly groomed, would know better than to question his master in any way, Palpatine was aware that, with Vader, he needed to maintain a delicate balance between blind obedience and autonomy, or at least the illusion of autonomy.

It was the price to pay for not keeping his apprentice at hand at the beginning of his servitude, but the situation had required him to make sacrifices and send his new and still wily apprentice after his Jedi ex-brethrens.

It would be different for the son, however, but only after the father finished not only his academic and military trainings, but that the youth had proven his absolute obedience to his master by satisfying him in his future role of third-in-command.

"It is of no concern, nor is the timing right. When we will defeat them, they will _all_ be there for the massacre, my friend. Now go to Endor and make work my will." He turned away and took a step toward the outer door of the room.

"Yes, Master," he bowed again at his departing form.

"Good. And, Lord Vader," Palpatine added, purposefully stopping in his tracks to turn back around toward his subdued older slave. "In regards to your son, I approve the curriculum that you prepared for him; I will grant him the four years that he needs to prepare for his new role. However, make sure that he succeeds in everything. I will not tolerate anything less than perfection, nor will anyone else when the time comes. Being your son, he will face nothing but the highest of expectations from every party, starting with myself. If need be, provide him with proper _incentive_ to perform to our exacting standards."

"O... Of course, Master. It shall be as you wish," Vader answered, bowing deeper than ever.

Without another glance at either his utterly subservient slave or the unconscious child, Palpatine stepped away once again. He took his time to slowly walk out of Vader's private quarters, aware that the longer he remained, the longer Vader had to hold himself in check even though he was burning with the need to go to his son's assitance.

On the way out of the meditation chamber, Sidious collected his ysalamiri-blanketed intel agent, who had fulfilled his duty while he had provided useful distraction.

Like when they arrived, the agent kept his distance from him yet followed closely enough to be covered by his mind manipulations on the crew members that they encountered.

Therefore, just like his arrival had been accomplished under complete secrecy, he altered all the minds of those he encountered, returning unseen to his undercover shuttle, which had landed in the landing bay closest to Vader's quarters.

Unbeknown to Vader, when his servant had returned with his son, Sidious had already been monitoring from the Eclipse, which had been lurking nearby yet out of range of Executor's sensors. He had merely pretended to be on Coruscant so that his devious apprentice felt safe enough to openly think about his true plans regarding the youth.

Not surprisingly, they hadn't been without the ulterior motive to overthrow him. The Emperor had tempered his ire with great difficulty, aware that any rash action could backfire if he didn't plan for every contingency.

The Sith master had still been pondering his next course of action when a wave of regret had crashed into him, originating from his apprentice.

Disgusted by the signs of re-emerging Light in his servant, he had finally made up his mind.

He had decided to remove the temporary threat that was the boy so that Vader would step back in line until his next bout of impatience. Then, while his unfaithful apprentice would now devote his clever mind to making sure that his son would survive in his new and Forceless life, he would also unknowingly prepare his replacement.

As for the boy's Sith training, Sidious would see to it when the time came. When that happened, however, the boy would not even _be_ aware of it, which would allow Palpatine to outwit his young Sith and any remaining misgivings he might still have then.

By the time that he boarded his shuttle and sat back in his comfortable acceleration couch, Darth Sidious was openly cackling in self-content. How he would enjoy the next five to ten years of his reign.

He would especially revel in Vader's paternal attempts to protect his son from the dangers of his new station, only to ensure that he would be perfect to replace him at the end of his training.

It was a glorious day for the Dark Side of the Force, and the upcoming years would be equally as grand.

* * *

Back in Vader's quarters, the moment that the door closed behind the Emperor's back, Anakin rushed to his son's help.

"Luke!" he called— and stopped in shock when the Force abruptly left him upon approaching his son. Luke was not only blind to the Force, he realized; he was also able to take it from him… like a ysalamiri.

He quickly dismissed his unease, gathered his composure and moved all the way to the boy. No special power was more important than his son. Not anymore.

He picked up the limp body and held him carefully against him. "Luke, please, talk to me!" he begged, jostling him slightly.

Without the possibility of sensing his son in the Force, he could not surmise his status in any way other than what his eyes could see… and they didn't see anything reassuring.

His son's skin was abnormally pale, he was sweating profusely, and he was panting for breath, which meant that his heart rate was probably unusually fast as well.

"Luke, son! Please, wake up." He lowered his helmeted head over the boy's unresponsive body and cried for the first time in twenty-one – almost twenty-two - years. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I didn't know… I thought… I should have known... I'm sorry," he repeated, his grief and regret rendering him completely inarticulate. Luke wasn't dead, that much he was certain of, but was he condemned to being in a coma for-

Tightening muscles and jerking limbs drew his attention back to the here and now and he quickly straightened back up to gaze down at the boy.

His beautiful blue eyes were wide with fear and concern, and then he closed them and grimaced while he clutched his chest with his free left hand. "Ah, hurt, Father... what… what happened?.."

"The Emperor," he began and heard the vicious resentment in his artificial voice, "_our_ master," he continued in self-disgust, "altered the conditions of our deal. Now, not only is _he_ the key to giving you back your Force powers, but he also made you disappear from the Force… I don't know how…"

Luke hissed again while his hand tightened against his chest and over his heart. "It burns, Father... it burns so much..."

"It will pass, Son," he tried to encourage him.

It _had_ to pass.

"Not fast-aaah!" the youth groaned more painfully.

If he could Feel the boy, he would be able to knock him out right away, but with the hole in the Force that was now his son, he couldn't even connect with the energy field, let alone find his son's center of awareness.

Therefore, he simply stood up, still holding him in his arms, and stalked toward his private medbay.

Although Palpatine had explicitly granted him permission to reveal the boy's presence to the outside world, Vader knew better than to take advantage of such a double-edged permission, especially after what had happened to the boy.

Displaying Luke now would not only put him at risk of retribution as either a former rebel or Vader's son, but neither he nor Luke would be able to defend the boy from attacks.

As for the Noghris, they could always watch over the boy during his father's absences, and they could help perfect his self-defense training, but they wouldn't be able to follow him outside their quarters without revealing the secret of their people.

Since Palpatine had long since strictly forbidden him from ever using them in any way that would reveal their existence to anyone except them, they weren't a possible solution to their new problem.

So, no, he resolved, he would not expose the boy yet, or even for a long, long time.

He would not lose him after finally being reunited with him _and_ slowly bonding with him.

He would protect him with everything that he was and that he had.

In his arms, the boy continued to moan and whimper for as long as his father hadn't managed to inject him with both a soporific and a painkiller. Then, and only then, Vader hooked him up to the monitors that he used on occasions, turned on his advanced med droid and assessed the situation with his help.

What _had_ Sidious done to his little Jedi?

TBC

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Well? How was that? Did you expect that ;) Anything else to share? I most certainly cross my fingers that your fun continued :)

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long! Moreover, they can make me write and post faster than scheduled, so ;P Please, pretty please?


	7. Chapter 7

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012

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Previously: Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels and secured his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced him to cooperate with his plans to groom him into the Empire's third-in-command. After confrontations over ideology and visions of his future, Luke found out about his father's past tragedy. After that, he reluctantly began his customized self-schooling university program. The Emperor then decided to chemically both cut him off from the Force _and_ turn him into a Force-inhibitor so that his father would be unpleasantly cut off from the Force when around his son.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

Seemovie180, thanks for answering my question. Now I understand! Have a nice end of year and while I will continue to update as often as I can, which is still not nearly as fast as I'd like to but DRL has a strangle hold on me. Hooray for cell phones that allow me to write a little more every time I can even though I'm not sitting at my computer ;P It's slower on the typing side, but faster in regards to the delays between being said, Unexpected is going to be a long story that will probably take most of 2013 to complete… hopefully no longer than that, though. Unfortunate Blessing might be shorter… but it might not. I'm really glad that you like what I imagine their father/son interactions to be in different settings. Thanks for your interest and great comments!

Now, before we move on to the post itself, I'd like to explain a little something that was brought up in two very long comments that you might or might not have read.

There are two reasons why I made Luke surrender easily in Unexpected :

1. I wanted to write a story I had never played with before 'and' that was different from the ten others I also have in the works (I didn't expect it to be 'this' popular ;P)

2. Luke is powerful no matter what or who he is, and he knows that Vader will use his Force potential to his advantage whether he is himself or a brainless marionette. Therefore, when he surrenders to Vader's brainwashing threat, Luke is actually choosing to obey and remain his present self (and do what he can to fight onward, even without the Force) over being 'erased' and turned into who Vader wishes him to be with no more links to his friends and allies, whom he would end up hurting or perhaps even killing. Considering Luke's utter devotion to the well-being of his friends no matter what (they are always the only black mailing tool that can break him as far as I'm concerned), then his decision is a no brainer, hence the ease of his surrender... At least, that's how I thought of it even if Luke wasn't aware of 'all' of that as he considered his options. I just didn't think that it was necessary to explain further the root of his psyche...Besides, we don't want Luke to be a brainless puppet, right? :)

In regards to the mind-reading being a cheat-like writing tool, the contact between Luke and Vader is not interrupted until Palpatine's attack; Luke is merely unable to tap into the Force to communicate back or raise mental shields. However, father and son have a Force bond which means that in his current status, Luke is as good as an open book to Vader's mind and Vader _doesn't know_ what privacy means. As for it being or not, a true Jedi power, the novelization of RJ mentions that Vader had to guard his thoughts around the Emperor because of his grandiose plans against him, and that the Emperor read right into Luke`s mind and heart about Yoda and some other secrets. Then, there is C'Boath and his manipulating his victims' minds to control them and trying to figure out Thrawn's plan by reading the crews minds in The Last Command. In short, I'm not inventing it; I'm tapping into the greater lore of the SW Jedi universe. After all, there is much, much more to the Force than flashy lightsabers and moving objects like we have been seeing in the official material of late. They are missing the point of the Jedi powers...

By the way, does anyone know what OP means in the fanfic world? I haven't been able to find the answer on my own...

Finally, for those who might feel that not everything is said about how they feel and think during conversations, it's because I don't write everything about both characters at the same time. Indeed, just like we don't know what our interlocutors think when we talk to them in real life, so do my characters as I spend some time in one's head and describe his thoughts and perceptions, and then jump and continue the dialogue (instead of backing up) from the other character's point of view. It is my writing style (which I learnt from reading the Timothy Zhan trilogy one too many times ;P) and it allows me to play with the misconceptions of one character toward another, or how one presents a different facade than what he really thinks (like Palpatine does) ;P I LOVE writing like that! Besides, I have been told that not everything needs to be said and to leave some things for the reader's imagination to fill in, so I truly believe that making my readers fill in the gaps as they please is also part of their fun. At least, I hope so...

Anyway, sorry about the long explanation. I just felt that I had to write those lines for future references during this story where Luke is _not_ his usual feisty self…(for those who want feisty, I have plenty of him in other stories) As for unexpected , just remember this: the present doesn't guarantee the future; not for us, and certainly not for them while they're in my hands (wha ha ha!)

**And now, at last, on with the new part of Unexpected! I cross my fingers that you'll continue to have fun ;P**

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Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Chapter 7: Change of plans

Ten hours later, while Luke was still recovering in the medunit, Anakin sat, sulking, in the armchair that he had asked Sixpeeio to bring inside the unit.

Sulking.

There was no other word to describe how disgruntled and upset… and utterly powerless he felt and he was, for the first time in a rather long time, brooding like he used to as a youth of Luke's age.

Granted, he had never been in the best of moods ever since he had become a Sith lord, but he had rarely ever merely chewed on and ruminated on his disappointment and frustration. Instead, he had learnt to feed his anger with more of his negative feelings, and then had regularly fanned the flames of his hatred with every possible accusation and feeling of resentment that he could come up with.

However, to merely sulk impotently with no attempt whatsoever to take control and shape his emotions into power... It was an old and pointless habit that had died with his old life... Until now.

How paradoxical was it that brooding was the first thing he happened to do upon the rebirth of his old self?

Yet, what else could he do? Now that he had awoken from Palpatine's lies and his own delusions of grandeur and power, he was just as powerless as when he had been a mere slave on Tatooine.

Worse, Luke was now also at the cruel mercy of Darth Sidious, and already enslaved by the Sith master.

Indeed, he grimaced to himself, it was crystal clear now that he _was_ still a slave and that he had unwisely brought his only son into his master's greedy claws, delivered Luke on a platter, really.

Of course, his chains were no longer a subcutaneous transmitter, but he wore them all the same in the form of the very suit that ensured his survival.

There was also the now unbreakable Force bond that Palpatine had forged with the boy, making any attempt to escape nigh impossible.

Oh, the tyrant had known all too well how to play him so that he'd willingly and even unconsciously stepped into his waiting bonds, and he had done so... Eagerly so, too, foolish, stupid, overconfident and arrogant brat that he had been back then.

After losing his beloved wife to his loss of temper and control of the Dark Side's intoxicating power, he had thought that everything he had been up to then - caring, passionate and compassionate - had been limitating and useless. After all, they had brought him nothing but the loss of all his loved ones so now, he could never hurt anyone else he cared about.

From that moment onward, he had allowed himself to become callous and heartless so that he would never be hurt like that ever again. He had also been confident that his personal life choices couldn't ever hurt anyone that mattered to him ever again. They had been his choices and he, alone, would ever answer for them.

His mother had been gone and his angel had perished at his own hands because of his loss of control, taking his unborn son or daughter with her since the child had also died while inside her womb.

Then, a miracle had happened and his son had turned out to be alive and a fine young man, a rebel and cursed Jedi, sure, but still, he hadn't been alone anymore...

And what had he done?

He had once again managed to squander this unique gift with his petty greed for power and arrogance.

Confident that this time, his reunited family would finally be what it should have been, he had stupidly brought his beloved son into his life - with its not-so-concealed slavery and destructiveness - and the one he had sworn to protect had once again suffered because of Anakin's unwise choices.

And was still suffering, he reminded himself as he noticed the slightly twitching feet of the still unconscious boy.

He should have known that it wouldn't end well once Palpatine became involved in his son's life. He should have known that the greedy and cruel Sith master would seek to separate them as much as possible so that they wouldn't join forces against him.

He should have known that, like any slave master that he had had in the past, Palpatine would reassert his dominion over his servant at the first occasion, making it clear that keeping his son alive and with him was a privilege he granted him and not a right he possessed or had recovered.

Then, of course, it was no surprise that he had completely incapacitated his son's Force powers so that Luke was truly nothing but a living family relative to him. Luke couldn't help him defeat Palpatine anymore, or even grow stronger in the Force and at least fulfill his potential.

Yes, the Emperor had once again proven his ruthlessness by making sure to destroy the son as much as possible so as to ensure the father's continued servitude while gaining a new slave in the process.

Anakin just couldn't believe how blind he had been even after everything else that he had learnt about the true nature of Darth Sidious. He was a vile monster, a master deceiver, a hypocritical politician and manipulator, and a selfish, power-greedy fiend.

Oh, and he was an extremely powerful and cunning Sith master.

Just why hadn't he figured out that it would end like this, Ani wondered yet again, burying his masked face in his gloved hands.

How could he have possibly expected it to end any different than this?

He slowly raised his head and looked at the beeping monitor that matched his son's heart rate. Although it had slowed down a lot once the shock effect of the ysalamiri solution had been under control, it was still a little faster than normal, and especially for an unconscious patient with Luke's health record. The child also still had a mild fever, which still made him shiver and/or sweat as it rose and fell in a cycle that was, thank the Force, gradually slowing down.

Luke's recovery was nowhere near fast enough as far as he was concerned, but at least, the worse was over.

As for the permanent effects of the drug that had been used on Luke, his medical droid, DR, didn't expect any lasting effects except for the Force inhibiting one.

From now on, the poor child, as well as anyone within a certain distance of him, would be cut off from the Force. However, judging from the groans that still came from Luke's unconscious figure, Anakin now suspected that there would be more than the Forceless side-effect.

From his own experience, he suspected that the poor child would also hurt for a long while from the absolutely unnatural status of his body. After all, as a strong Jedi in his own rights, and as the son of the most powerful Jedi ever, the child's cells had all been tuned to the Force from the very beginning of his existence, even before he had been born.

Then, Luke and the Force had always been one, even when the child had not known how to tap into that connection yet could still use it on a subconscious and reflexive level.

For all those reasons, Anakin expected far more unpleasant side-effects. After all, if losing his limbs had reduced his Force connection while leaving a gaping hole in his soul where the rest of his Force presence should have been, he could only dread what would result from being completely and permanently bereft of the Force... It would be traumatic.

And permanent as in his case, the side effects were still painful and not lessening anymore; he had only learnt to live with the mental pain and forget it.

Just like the rest of his other sources of constant agony.

Thinking about what could await his precious son, he was tempted to maintain him in an artificial coma until he could find the antidote to the lizard's drug, but at the same time, he wanted to be with his son – his interacting son.

Besides, he scolded himself, that would be Vader acting, not him, not to mention that Luke would be in a foul mood when he would wake up and discover that his father had kept him under for any length of time.

Now that would really not help their fledgling relationship in any way.

No, Ani shook his head slowly, he had no option but to allow the events to run their course and do his best to be there for his son when he would need him.

However, while he had already stationed four noghris in his suite and assigned them to his son's protection and self-defense training, he resolved to do everything necessary to protect the child from any possible danger.

Thus, unless precisely ordered to, Vader would not return to Coruscant and leave his son alone aboard Executor, and he would not expose him to the outside world and the lowlives that would seek his death merely because of their family relationship. He would not introduce Luke to the cutthroats of the imperial court, he would not be seen with him during any dreadful function, and the child would definitely not be presented as his heir to the rest of the galaxy. He would also make sure that the child satisfied the ruler's requirements.

As for his education, which still had to happen as per Palpatine's orders, Ani would provide Luke with the necessary tutelage for his education, but through a droid of his own making instead of any source located outside his suite aboard the Executor.

Finally, until Luke wasn't recovered from his latest ordeal and that the droid tutor wasn't ready, the program would be put on hold.

He would also not push the child anymore than necessary, unless ordered otherwise.

Indeed, unless Sidious made it an explicit order, Luke's grooming and academic catching up would proceed at a more normal pace, yet the schedule would still fit the four-year period granted by Palpatine.

Still, for now, the child would sleep in for as long as he wished and that he hadn't begun to wake up earlier on his own. Then, in addition to that extra sleeping time, he would make sure that Luke had leisure time as well, just like any regular student. Furthermore, although restricted to his quarters unless ordered otherwise by their slaver, the boy would '_not_' become stir crazy like young Anakin Skywalker had whenever he had been stuck aboard a ship for too long.

Ani had a few ideas as to how to achieve that and made a note to himself to place a special order as soon as possible.

Finally, he would find a way to allow contact between Luke and his friends. Of course, the trick would be to make sure that no information of any level of security is passed on from Luke's part, but Anakin knew all too well how isolation hurt just as much as a physical wound, and especially when forced upon oneself. He would not submit his son to that kind of trial, not if he could do something about it.

He would just have to be particularly creative about that one.

He was still pondering how he would go about that last silent promise when a change in the electronic sound of the monitoring machine attracted his attention back to his son. Although still groggy and wincing from lasting pain, the youth was finally stirring awake. His first reaction was to lift his right hand to his chest even as his heart rate increased slightly.

Then, his blue eyes snapped open in shock and he started against the mattress of the medical bunk, his body pulling up and encountering the resistance of the tight sheets that kept him warm and tucked into the bunk.

"Take it easy, Son," Anakin said gently while he remained in his seat.

Now that he was aware of _everything_ that he had done wrong in both his own life and his son's, he did not want to impose himself anymore than necessary upon the youth.

"Aaaah," Luke moaned and rolled slowly onto his left side, still clutching at his chest. "What... what happened?"

"Palpatine," Anakin answered, dejected. "How bad is your level of pain? Do you need a new shot of painkillers?"

"What's wrong? Why does it hurt like that?" his son grimaced while he wordlessly refused the offered chemical relief.

"The Emperor did not only block you from using the Force; he also turned you into a Force inhibitor. Even I don't feel the Force when I'm this close to you."

Only silence answered him.

Silence and a low whimper of suffering.

"I'm sorry, Son. I'm sorry I ever made the brainless and completely unwise choice that led us to this horrible turn of fate. I should have listened to Obi-Wan when he warned me away from Palpatine... I should have listened to your mother when she also voiced her doubts and concerns about the devolving government. If I had, we wouldn't be here today."

His son merely curled up further over himself, remaining silent while he purposefully avoided his sight. Anakin let him be, waiting and giving Luke all the time required to ponder his words.

As usual, though, his little Jedi was showing a brave face against his pain and Ani wished that, for once, he wouldn't and allowed him to relieve his agony.

Then, he noticed the slight, barely noticeable movement of the boy's raised left shoulder and he berated himself for not seeing it earlier.

The little one was not putting up a facade; he was sobbing as silently as he could.

Anakin completely understood his reaction. After all, the boy was in enemy territory, completely helpless and now completely deprived of the most natural part of his self and soul, and-

Forgetting his resolve to not upset the child further, he swiftly rose to his feet and went by his son's side. "Luke," he awkwardly comforted him, barely resting his hand on the boy's shoulder, "please, at least let me relieve your pain. You don't have to suffer anymore than necessary."

Ever the ex-rebel, the boy weakly shrugged off his touch even as he refused to look at him. "Leave me... You've done... enough already... _Father_."

Although his first reflex was to object and state that for as long as Luke would be recovering, he would also stay with him and share his Forceless state, one gaze at the child's hunched and prone figure made him change his mind.

That was not how he would make it up to the young one.

Hence, he slowly withdrew from the boy's side and reluctantly walked toward the door of the medunit. Before leaving, however, he turned and spoke again. "For now, and until new dispositions are ready, your special school program is on hold. Take all the time you need to recover, Luke. This has been a very harsh experience for both your body and your soul. Don't hesitate to take advantage of all the help Dee-Are can provide you with. When you'll be ready to talk again, I'll be there. I... I know it's too late and rather pointless by now, but... I've come back to my senses now. What Palpatine created when he slowly corrupted me, he just undid in one swift stroke with his crime against you. I just wish you to know that I am here for you, not as Darth Vader anymore, but as Anakin Skywalker, your true father. I am ashamed of what I did, and I deeply, profoundly regret what I ever did to you, your mother, and the rest of the galaxy."

There, he had said it. He had admitted the truth out loud; he had revealed what he had always denied whenever he had thought about his son, but he couldn't deny it anymore.

Darth Vader was dead, and the ghost of once Anakin Skywalker was once again rising to the fore. He couldn't be that man anymore – not exactly anyway– but he could inspire himself with what he had had best to offer, once upon a time.

He would start with his compassion and his kindness toward those he loved.

Without further ado, he reluctantly turned around and left the small med unit.

* * *

Once alone in the med unit – or as alone as one could be with a medical droid in attendance - Luke gritted his teeth against another moan and turned toward the opposite wall and the waiting droid. "Painkiller, please?" he breathed with a grimace that belied just how bad were his current throes of agony.

At first, he had wanted to be strong and not show how bad he felt, but after hearing genuine regret, hesitancy and even sadness in his father's voice, he had understood that the fight against Vader was over. The masked Sith lord was not the true enemy; he was only a tool in Palpatine's armory, a mere pawn – albeit a major one - on the galactic board game.

Just like he now was.

Through him, Palpatine had sought to regain control of his unfaithful right arm, and he had succeeded not only in humbling, but also in humiliating his older servant. That much was clear from Vader's heartfelt-sounding apologies.

No, not Vader's… Anakin's…

Barely seconds after the droid had injected the high-dosage liquid painkiller directly into his intravenous feed, Luke sighed in relief. However, the initial respite was soon over and the droid had to give him an other dose to control his agony.

It took a total of five shots before his whole body could relax, finally freed from his agony, at least for a while. Now, there was still that unbearable hole in his mind – or was it his soul like his father had said – but at least, his previous agonizing spasms were subdued for now.

With the help of the droid, he slowly sat up, and then leaned back against the raised head rest, unable to sustain his own weight even in a sitting position.

Then, he closed his eyes and allowed his body to rest some more.

For a long moment, perhaps even a few hours, he just sat still and was content to merely breathe without feeling any pain of any kind.

* * *

Then, when he felt rested enough to gather his thoughts, he resumed his thinking even though he didn't open his eyes yet.

He just didn't have the strength to do '_that_', let alone anything else.

So the Emperor's drug had an effect on his physical connection with the Force, not only his mental one like Vader's block did before now. How could that be possible? And was it permanent? Or was there an antidote that would eventually be dangled temptingly in front of him?

Probably the latter, he pouted.

Otherwise, why leave him alive or even maintain that silly command about going back to school ? It could only mean that Palpatine still intended to use him to his own advantage, but only when '_he_' would decide so.

Just great.

Yet, if he was now a Force-inhibitor, then it would probably keep his interactions with the true enemy to a minimum, and most of them from a distance. Now that was a small relief brcause the mere presence of the Sith master had made his skin crawl in aversion and abject terror.

The Emperor simply reeked of evil. It was no wonder that the galaxy was like it was nowadays: broken and suffering. Of course, he had known that long before meeting the tyrant face to face, but now that he had, he felt even more determined to put an end to the fiend's reign.

Yet, he sighed forlornly, could he conceivably do anything anymore? Although his father had apparently turn back from the Dark Side, they were still both in the heart of the Empire, they were as good as useless to his friends since the Emperor would not allow anymore straying or betrayal from even his second-in-command, at least not without further consequences.

Consequences that '_he_' would pay, he understood next as he realized what had prompted the Sith's decision to alter the conditions of survival and detention. Palpatine had wanted to punish Vader by cutting him off as much as possible from his son. However, had he ever imagined that, by hurting the son like that, he would provoke his father's return?

Probably not, he surmised and figured that Palpatine would have been looking for the exact opposite, seeking to corrupt Vader further through his anger and hatred of his master.

Did that change anything about the situation, though? He wondered next.

He couldn't really think of anything encouraging save for the fact that, if the Force still willed it, he would, at least, finally get to know his real father.

That being dealt with — "I'd like to return to my rooms," he said out loud, addressing his silent watcher.

"I would advise against it, young master. Your vitals have barely begun to stabilize and-"

"How long then?" Luke cut him off, already feeling impatient from the prospect of spending more time in the med unit.

"At least a few days to see how long you will require painkillers. Lord Vader advised me that the situation would last for a longer while."

"But I'm only a door away, and you can always stick by me if you prefer," he argued with the logical medical droid. "I just don't like medicenters much. Please?"

"I will need to clear it with Lord Vader. I do not recommend such move yet."

Defeated by the unyeilding droid, the youth sighed and nodded in defeat. "All right, call him back in. I'll talk with him myself."

TBC

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Well? How was that? How did you like Anakin's thoughts after waking up? Or'Luke's reaction to the new circumstances? Anything else to share?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long! Moreover, they can make me write and post faster than I normally can, so ;P Please, pretty please?


	8. Chapter 8

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012-13ish

* * *

Previously: Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels so that he could capture his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced him to cooperate with his plans to groom him into the Empire's third-in-command. After confrontations over ideology and plans for his future, Luke found out about his father's past tragedy and reluctantly submitted himself to a customized self-schooling higher-degree program. The Emperor, dissatisfied with the confusion that the boy generated, threatening Vader's darkness, then decided to chemically cut Luke off from the Force _as well as_ turn him into a Force-inhibitor. As a result, his father was suddenly and unpleasantly cut off from the Force when around his son. The result of that attack did not only turn Anakin back to the light but also caused great physical pain to the young Jedi captive. Anakin tried to care for him, but Luke, resentful anew, turned him down... at least until he left him alone with the medical droid called Dr.

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Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

Thanks as well for all the new favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details but your interest is already precious to me :) I only cross my fingers that I'll be worthy of your vote of confidence

By the way, does anyone know what OP means in the fanfic world? I haven't been able to find the answer on my own and I haven't heard about that answer yet... I'm really curious to know the meaning of that abbreviation.

Now, to answer the anonymous comments (yes, I do answer to all and every comment, if only to thank my kind reader, so please, don't hesitate to sign in so that I can reply to you faster )

N. Ockenfels, thanks for your great comment! I'm glad to be of service and I know what you mean about waiting for updates (that's kind of why I write so many stories of my own… because I'm starving for more of the fanfics I love and so, I keep coming up with ideas ;P)As for long draughts, I do my best to update at least once a month, but Darth Real Life always gets the last word when it comes down to it; all I can guarantee is that whenever I can, I am writing those stories that I share with you; I simply need my creative fix as much as you do. Finally, in regards to the serum, I guess you need to suspend your beliefs and scientific knowledge for that, or to assume that it's self-replicating (shrugs) Whatever works best for you. Thanks for your great comment and continued interest, dear! I hope that you will continue to have fun with this next part

Minnee, thanks for the great comment I'm really glad that you are enjoying my portrayals of their relationship and of caring daddy Vader/Ani! More of him to come, I promise. A lot more!

**And now, at last, on with the new part of Unexpected! I cross my fingers that you'll continue to have fun ;P And please, don't be shy and share your thoughts afterward! I don't bite, I promise, and hearing from my interested readers brings so much Sun in my life, and especially during those dreary days of November…**

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Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. I'm only writing stories for fun.

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Unexpected 8: Mysteries of the Force

Anakin had already begun to work on the new tutoring/security program that he was planning to add to Sixpeeio when the said droid came in his workshop and informed him of his son's request for his presence.

He was truly surprised that the previously glum boy had already recovered enough from his trauma to seek his presence, but he was also very happy that it was so.

Now that he wasn't misled anymore by the Dark Side's delusions and ambitions, they had _soooo_ much to talk about and he had so much to answer for in regards to his son's predicament.

After making sure that he had saved his new program, he left his work station in a way that, when he returned, he would easily remember where he had interrupted his work. He then stalked past the silent droid and toward the door of the med unit, feeling simultaneously eager and concerned about what his son wanted to talk about.

Then, just as he was about to step within the door's opening range, he stilled when his doubts suddenly overcame everything else. How could he possibly face the child after everything that he had done to both him and Padme? What could he tell him that wouldn't add to his already-traumatic experience?

How could he hope not to appear as a monster when he was locked in that cursed armor of his?

In the end, it was his son's muffled voice that stirred him back into motion. "Father? Are you there?"

'Father...', Anakin sighed in heartfelt relief. That mere word of acknowledgment of their kinship was enough to reassure him that the child was at least willing to listen to his explanations, however pointless they would prove to be.

With only minute reluctance, he leaned forward just enough to trigger the door's opening mechanism, and then wordlessly stepped inside; he halted his forward progress the moment that the door hissed close again, just after he had cleared its sensor range. "You wished to see me?"

His subconscious noticed that, at this distance - a little under a meter and a half from Luke - he was still able to feel the Force even though he was in his son's presence. He filed the information away for later reference.

His son, meanwhile, was now sitting on the very edge of the med bed; the youth interrupted his efforts to stand up only long enough to shoo away Dee-Are.

As he expected from his professionals med droid, Dr was actively trying to restrain his rebellious patient from exerting himself like that.

"Yes," Luke nodded in answer to his question before he turned to glare in resentment at the hovering droid; while he had been answering him, Dr had managed to push the child back on the mattress until both of his thighs rested once again on the self-conforming mattress.

When the robot failed to take his silent warning to leave him be, his little Jedi gazed back at him, his irritation plain in his blue eyes.

"I just want out of here, but that tin can of yours won't let me."

"Out of here how exactly?" he reflexively frowned, leaning his head sideways in wariness.

Knowing his son, such a statement could easily range from mere sarcasm to open defiance. He truly hoped that it wasn't the latter as it would test Palpatine's limits yet again.

Limits that he didn't dare reach yet again as far as his son's well-being was concerned.

Indeed, while he was ready and prepared to help make Luke's imperial life better in every possible way, their first common confrontation with Palpatine had also taught him that there were limits that even _he_ couldn't overcome or ignore.

Furthermore, now that the child had been formerly introduced to Sidious and injected with a solution that, he had just found out, was laced with nanotransmittors that couldn't be neutralized, neither Vader nor Luke could run away from the lives that the Sidious had chosen for them. _Their_ master would simply always find them wherever they went and, once he had them back in his claws, he would make them pay for their escapade.

In short, even if Vader was Anakin once again, and even if he wished that he could free his son from their now common nightmare, he knew better than to entertain or even merely encourage any thought of escape; he knew not to indulge in such fantasies from himself, and he most definitely knew not to let Luke entertain that kind of plan.

"I want out of this bunk and into more jovial quarters, that's all," his son answered, raising his hands in unspoken conciliation. Like him, the boy had caught the double meaning of his request and wanted to reassure him in regards to his continued collaboration in regards to what had already been established between them.

The youth had also clearly understood the lesson implicit in their latest challenge and had now truly chosen to behave, foregoing any naughty plans this time.

Still, what Anakin hadn't mentionned, such as any hopes for freedom, hadn't escaped the little one and he was quick on the follow-up.

"Why, did you have anything else in mind?" He inquired hopefully, tilting his head in mock-playfulness as he mirrored his father's stance.

Anakin straightened up at that and crossed his arms, this time in silent rebuttal and to indicate his refusal to compromise on this matter. "No, nothing else could be possible, I'm afraid. You are also still limited to my inner sanctum and everything in it."

That, of course, was not an order per se but rather his own decision so as to keep the boy safe at any cost, but for now, there was no need to dawdle on the specifics.

Luke's demeanor had sobered upon hearing his words. "Yeah, I figured," he muttered unhappily, gazing down at his bare feet. He slowly shifted them, as if to test his strength, and then carefully pushed himself off the bunk and onto the deck. "I just want to go back to my quarters and rest there, that's all. I've just already had enough medical sojourns to last me a lifetime. I don't care to add another one to the list."

Although the comment was said without malice or resentment, Anakin still winced at the indirect inference to their previous encounters and the horrible injuries that he had inflicted - willingly so, too - upon the child.

He refocused his attention on the youth, only to see him falter slightly under his own weight. Anakin reflexively stepped closer to hold him up – and gasped when the Force left him yet again the moment that he breached the meter-and-a-half radius. However, unlike the first time that he had discovered this new characteristic in Luke's life, and in their physically close interactions, he didn't halt in motion.

Thus, Anakin was just in time to catch his child's weight before the boy had crumpled down to his knees. Dr, who had pulled away after his master's arrival, was too far away to prevent the boy's fall.

"Easy, Son. I don't think that you're quite ready for that yet."

"I will be," came the adamant answer. "Just help me up and give me a moment, okay?"

Bearing his son's weight with his strong arms, Anakin easily straightened up both himself and Luke and held the youth in a standing position.

"Lord Vader," Dr addressed him, "I must object, my Lord. This kind of exertion is not recommended this soon after suffering from a toxic shock."

"I'm fine," Luke argued and eased himself back onto his feet while holding onto his father's unnaturally-steady arms. "Stop fussing already!"

Under his mask, though, the former Jedi frowned in renewed concern.

"Perhaps you should listen to him, Son. We wouldn't want you to have a relapse."

"You were still suffering less than an hour ago, young master. I strongly recommend that you return to bed and remain there for at least another forty-eight hours."

"You what?" Anakin froze and tightened his grip on his son's biceps, keeping him from straining further. Then, holding him firmly enough to support his weight for him, he quickly set the youth back on the bed that he had just vacated. "Do you still hurt anywhere?"

* * *

"Hey!" Luke objected in regards to his father's manhandling him as if he were a tot. He then glared at both him and the droid while his father pried him for further information. "I said I'm fine now," he repeated, intent to save what was left of his pride and dignity.

Vader didn't let go of him however and addressed the watching droid. "What dosage of painkillers has he received so far?"

"The maximum dosage, my Lord. Nothing else sufficed to relieve him entirely."

When the dark lord turned his helmeted head back toward him, Luke could almost see his scowl even though the black mask hadn't changed form in the last minutes. "This is not good news, Luke. Considering your acute pain, you should be more than concerned about your lack of recovery."

It was Luke's turn to frown in displeasure. "Why? It's not going to last for much longer... is it?.." he faltered slightly, doubt filling him when his father began to slowly shake his head in negative. "It isn't?.."

While he felt the blood drain from his face at the thought of never being painless ever again, Vader slowly released him and straightened up once again.

"Why not?" the youth finally inquired when no new answer was provided.

"Being a Jedi, even when untrained, means sharing an intricate connexion with the Force. That connexion is established on a physical, an emotional and a spiritual level. Ever since you were conceived, you were one with the Force, and she, with you. It is in your biology, in your mind and in your soul, just like it is meant to be. As a result, forcefully and completely cutting you off from her like Palpatine did is tantamount to cutting off half of you. It is not meant to happen. It is a raw and unhealing injury that will affect your body for as long as you aren't restored to your former and true Force sensitive self."

While Luke was familiar with the concept of being one with the Force, a concept that he had understood better and explored further while with Yoda, he had never imagined that he was _that_ intricately meshed with it. "Did you learn that while you were still a Jedi? Did Obi-Wan teach you that? Or someone else?" he asked, subdued despite himself.

Those were really not good news...

"I don't think that anyone ever understood that kernel of wisdom before I did, Son."

"Why not?" he frowned, dubious as to the depth and trustworthiness of his father's unfamiliar insight.

"Because no one else was ever conceived by the Force herself."

"You were... what?!" He gaped in disbelief.

No one had ever mentionned that to him about his father, or in any Jedi lore that Yoda had shared with him.

"The Force created me. I didn't have a father, not at home, and not even during conception. One morning, my mom was suddenly pregnant with me and that was it. The Jedi master who found me believed that I was the long-awaited Chosen one." Anakin averted his gaze a moment before he looked up once again. "To this day, I still disagree with that prophecy because I didn't bring balance to the Force; I killed all its servants of the Light. Only darkness reigns now."

"Except that master Yoda is still alive, thus balances out Palpatine's darkness, and even if you still have to continue to serve the Sith, I will always and forever remain faithful to the Light and only the Light. So, in a way, I guess that was what the balance was all about-"

"No," his father shook his head in stubborn disagreement. "I now know what the _balance_ is supposed to be, and it doesn't even have to do with Light and Dark. It has to do with how the users, all allegiances confused, actually relate to the Force."

The boy silently scowled in confusion.

"The Force has a voice of her own, Son, and the old Jedi order had forgotten how to truly listen to it so as to best serve her and her unity with the whole galaxy."

"But the Sith-"

"Are there to end any status quo and make her servants act on her behalf where she needs it. However, that wasn't how the Jedi were when I joined them. They had grown so devoted to their man-made rules, customs, and _code_ that they were acting more on their own behalfs than hers."

"But not Palpatine?.." Luke queried, feeling more and more confused by his father's explanations.

"He was her agent of chaos, and so, by listening only to his greed and by coercing her flow of power to his selfish will, he was serving her well to shock her other lethargic servants awake."

"And so, what were you supposed to do instead of eradicating the old order?"

"Reform it through my passions, my love for my wife and unborn child, and, gradually, pass on the greater Wisdom that had been lost for too long... The Force prefers peace to chaos, using the latter only to bring about changes."

"And... and you know all that because you were created by her?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"My bond with her is unique, Son. While some of what I just explained to you only came to me in recent years - every time we confronted each other - I became used to hearing her true voice just after my duel with Obi-Wan. During my numerous healing meditations, I actually found myself communicating with her, and she with me. She gave me insight in my physical situation and, with her help, I was able to heal myself as much as I could. Without her, I would be far more crippled than I am nowadays.

"so you... you really _talk_ with the Force?!" Luke gaped, flabbergasted. While his Jedi master had taught him to follow the guidance of the Force and listen to its influence when he was at peace and serene, his mentor had never mentionned anything about actually _dialoguing_ with the greater power that they served.

"Not in so many words, but it is definitely a clearer way of communication than the traditional meditations that you have learnt with master Yoda."

"So what does she say about what you did to the galaxy?"

"That she is still unbalanced, but not how to help her regain her balance now. However, it is crystal clear that the purpose of my life and greater Force potential is to re-establish that lost balance. She won't let me forget it nowadays."

"So how are you going to fulfill that mandate?"

"I don't know... I used to think that it would happen with the restoration of peace and justice in the galaxy, which is why I devoted myself so much to my commanding duties... until I learnt otherwise about what should have been."

"And killing the Jedi..? Why did you hunt them down so relentlessly?"

"It was Palpatine's standing order and I confess that, at the time, I considered the old order so corrupt that I agreed with the need of a purge. Back then, I didn't listen to the Force's voice with as much attention as I now do. I took what I needed from her and ignored the rest. Had I listened with more attention, I would have heard her desperate begs not to eradicate all of them."

Luke couldn't help but shiver at the thought of all the Jedi that had fallen at his father's overeager blade.

"However, with or without her guidance, it was always my intention to restore the order someday, the right way this time. At least that much was clear to me."

"Though it would be done the Sith way, no doubt," the youth grimaced even as he unconsciously hinched away from the dark lord of the Sith.

"Not exactly," Vader surprised him with a shake of his head. "However, I had to wait for Sidious' death at my hands before setting my plan in motion. Now, it is doomed to remain but an utopia that will only ever live in my mind."

"Why?"

"After what happened yesterday, I know for certain that I will never even have an opportunity to take him out of the picture. Not now that he holds you in his claws as well."

"Yeah," Luke agreed in dejection, "After your comment about turning back to the Light, I figured that he would use me as leverage to keep you in line." He pondered his father's revelations for a moment. "How can the Force merely stand by and allow this nightmare to worsen all the time?"

"Because we are not her slaves but her free-willed servants. She doesn't direct us to do anything; she is merely available to provide guidance and abilities to those who listen to her... And that guidance is always given to serve her best. All Force users can understand her like this, but most never understand her beyond the basic levels that give us our special abilities."

"And the Dark Side? Where does that fit in all of this?"

"The Force is neither Light or Dark. She just is. It is the emotions and internal/external focus of the user that determines what his/her connection with her will translate into. Those who focus only on themselves and their needs and desires use her and twist her to their will - yet still use her - while those who wish for the greater good for everyone become selfless and allow her to actually use them as she wills against those that threathen the greater unity."

"So basically, she's disappointed with you - her _child_ and chosen one - for killing thousands of her selfless servants, but she didn't do anything to stop you from using her to commit unspeakable atrocities and helping Palpatine plunge the galaxy into a living nightmare?"

"I wouldn't say that she took it passively because she sent me Visions of what should have been, but I was not ready to listen back then. After those ignored messages, she let me be... until you emerged to challenge my heartlessness and life choices all over again." His father fell silent for a moment. "By then, however" he went on,"I had fully embraced the selfish ways of the Sith and so... I didn't really listen to her resuming voice until after Bespin. Even then, though, I still twisted everything to _my_ will until yesterday... Yesterday," he seemed to sight, "when I realized too late that I had been a fool for a lifetime - your lifetime.." Anakin seemed to lock eyes with him before he looked down once again. "Now that I have foregone my selfish ways, I truly listen to her, even better than when I was a Jedi, and she is telling me that I still have to return the balance that has been lost for millenia." He looked straight back at him. "Unfortunately, though, she doesn't tell me how, when, or even if it will ever be possible. She simply expects it of me, as she always had. In the end," he shrugged his large and armored shoulders, "how I do it doesn't seem to matter to her as long as it is done."

Luke hunched his shoulders at that and muttered to himself. "Well, it matters to me."

* * *

Although his son hadn't meant to be heard as he brooded about the surprising indifference of the Force, Anakin still read his lips and physical expression. Carefully, wary to upset the child further, he barely rested his left hand on his son's left knee.

"As of yesterday, it once again matters to me as well, Son. I now see the error of my ways and, whether the Force cares or not, I will not exploit her anymore; I will serve her once again, in the Light Side. My days as a heartless Sith are over."

"What about the balance that you have to restore? Maybe you're right and it _is_ about bringing back peace and justice to the galaxy... And restore the Jedi."

"Whatever it portends, Son, I will find a way to fulfill my duty as my real self instead of the monster that Palpatine carefully crafted and molded under everyone's eyes. Do you believe me?"

The Jedi's blue eyes stared up from under light brown eyelashes and Anakin wished that he didn't wear his mask so that Luke could see the honest repentance in his own blue eyes.

"I..." The child hesitated, wet his dry lips and gazed deeply at him. "I wish that I could... but I am afraid to."

Anakin nodded his masked head in comprehension. The youth was worried about being deceived and used, and why shouldn't he? His own father hadn't given him any real reason to believe his statement about his shedding the darkness. "There is no need to make your decision now, Son. I only hope that, in time, you will see beyond this cursed mask and armor and trust the man trapped inside of it. In the meantime, I will endeavor to prove my claims with my actions."

He met his son's wary gaze a moment longer before he pulled away and took a step back to give the child some personal space.

"I do not deserve your trust, let alone your forgiveness and your comprehension, but I promise you that as long as I live, I will never, ever harm you ever again, not even in the slightest of ways. Of that, you have my word on your mother's and your grandmother's graves."

* * *

Parsecs away, Palpatine gnashed his teeth together in outrage and barely contained fury as he watched the disastrous results of his brilliant assault on the boy.

He had been looking forward to the shock waves of Vader's renewed fury and hatred, but instead, an abnormal ripple of Light had stirred the Force, confirming to him the disgusting honesty of his traitorous apprentice in regards to his new mindset.

In short, instead of stoking Vader back to life and to even greater heights of anger, he had provoked the resurgence of the foolish Jedi that he had broken and destroyed so long ago - or at least he had thought him dead.

His only reprieve regarding this unforeseen debacle was that Jedi or Sith, his slave knew his place and would continue to obey him in everything.

The child's presence wonderfully ensured both of their subserviences.

He raged as he watched the images that were transmitted by the medic droid's eyes; his latest spying virus, which had been planted by his agent during their impromptu visit, had turned the robot into a secret transmitter, as had every optical of every other droid of Vader's suite. Given his slave's propensity for droids, planting them with the new virus while they were plugged into the system in standby had been the easiest way to secretly get eyes inside Vader's sanctuary.

Still, he continued to simmer, monitored or not, and obedient or not, he couldn't leave the two Jedi together without direct control. Not if he wanted to avoid mutiny in the future.

He also had just the tool to prevent such thoughts from ever forming in their little brains, but was he ready to sacrifice this field asset to a long-term secluded mission?

As he watched Vader help the boy back to his feet, he decided that it was the only option available that would still ensure his long-terms goals with his new and currently uncooperative apprentice.

He sent her a message to report to him right away.

Then, he pondered and studied the situation further while the father assisted the weakened son on his way back toward the boy's rooms. The brat's continued and not-so-subtle torture pleased him; it was a small consolation for all the grief that he was already causing him with his backfiring plan.

But perhaps he could suffer further and for a longer while, he slowly began to muse. A sneer of cruel inspiration gradually formed on his thin lips. Yes, he could make certain arrangements...

Satisfied with his adjustments to his initial plan, he sank deeper into his throne-like observation chair and, while still monitoring the disgusting father/son bonding moment that he had caused, he pondered the parameters of the mission that he would soon give to his most loyal servant.

TBC

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Well? How was that? Hmmm, I know, I kind of took a few liberties with the Force in that one, but it felt like a good direction to explore through this fic and so, I went with it. It's the only time that it's being mentioned, though, so if you didn't like it, don't worry, it was a one shot thing. Then, while so engaged, I also explained in my way some of the glaring differences that now exist between the Jedi of the prequels and Luke's training by Yoda. That was just some food for thought, I guess.

Aside from that philosophical moment, however, how did you like this new father/son conversation? And how furious were you at Palpatine for once again finding a way to work the situation to his advantage? Any idea as to what his new plans will involve for the young Jedi? Anything else to share?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long! Moreover, they can make me write and post faster than I normally can. Of course, I always do my best to post more as soon as possible, but I can never guarantee fast updates, as you might have noticed by now. However, the more reviews I get, the more I really want and even strain to _make_ that next post happen faster, so ;P Please, pretty please?

p.s. : I'm also working on what I hope to be two Holiday gifts for the two runner ups of this summer's survey, namely The Balance of the Force and Deceit P Just thought some of you might like to know that more than the traditional gifts under the tree await them between the beginning and the end of the Holidays :) :) (I thought I'd be able to work on more running-up stories, but time really is too short for that... not if I want to keep Unexpected and Blessing on their current tentative schedule. Meh, (shrugs) a girl got to work, feed herself and sleep before all else ;P

p.s. 2 : if you'd like other fics to be the next ones to get an update, you know what to do ;P If you have already reviewed them, PM me :)


	9. Chapter 9

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2012-13ish

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Previously: Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels so that he could capture his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced him to cooperate with his plans to groom him into the Empire's third-in-command. After confrontations over ideology and plans for his future, Luke found out about his father's past tragedy and reluctantly submitted himself to a customized self-schooling higher-degree program. The Emperor, dissatisfied with the confusion that the boy generated, threatening Vader's darkness, then decided to chemically cut Luke off from the Force _as well as_ turn him into a Force-inhibitor. The result of that attack did not only turn Anakin back to the light but also caused great physical pain to the young Jedi captive. However, because of Anakin's return, Palpatine decided to move to plan B.

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Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

Thanks as well for all the new favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details but your interest is already precious to me :) I only cross my fingers that I'll be worthy of your vote of confidence

By the way, does anyone know what OP means in the fanfic world? I still don't know the answer to that question... I'm really curious to learn the meaning of that abbreviation.

Now, to answer the anonymous comments (yes, I do answer to all and every comment, if only to thank my kind reader, so please, don't hesitate to sign in so that I can reply to you faster)

Nilihil, thanks for your comment here as well (and to answer your desperate cry of frustration to the new Balance post, if you signed in, I could answer your question in private… I just like my cliffies and don't want to spoil the surprise for everyone else, even if it is a good surprise ;P Still, I could assuage your frustration much faster than the moment of my next update if only I had a link to answer in private.) Back to Unexpected, the unmasked Vader/Ani hasn't occurred to me yet, but there is still a lot of time for that to happen :) I'm really glad you liked how I painted the Force in the last post. I find that aspect of SW fascinating and just had to venture where 'it' wanted to take me this time :) As for Palpatine, I love to make him appear so undefeatable that when it finally happens, it is just that much more satisfying to twist his scrawny little neck. One thing you must know, however, is that with me, killing Palpy is never a guarantee that he is really defeated ;P Thanks again for your great comment and continued interest! I hope you'll enjoy this new part as well :)

Rosesforever, sorry to have disappointed you last time. I hope that this time will at least be satisfying angst-wise, but in regards to action… this a character-driven piece with a lot of reflexions, boring imperial studies, and talking planned, but a lot of backstabbing plans progressing in the background as well :) I just thought that you should know as forewarned is forearmed :) Parts 2 and 3 of what is now a trilogy will have different pacing and focus, but they will still not be action-packed because I prefer angst and introspection, but with just the right dash of action and adventure for my favorite Jedi heroes :) Just some food for thought :)

Yeali, thanks for your interest and comment! More coming right now!

**And now, at last, on with the new part of Unexpected! I cross my fingers that you'll continue to have fun ;P And please, don't be shy and share your thoughts afterward! I don't bite, I promise, and hearing from my interested readers brings so much Sun in my life!**

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Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

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**Unexpected 9: Imperial emissary**

Six days after Palpatine's attack on Luke, Executor slid out of hyperspace and within sight of a new Death Star.

A second Death Star... Luke shuddered and wrapped his thickly covered arms around himself in reaction to the shiver of dread that ran down his spine at the sight of the behemoth. One planet/society killer hadn't been enough for Palpatine. He had built more than one.

If there were two, he frowned grimly then there might be more out there, hidden away from prying eyes until the time came for them to begin their funest careers. Yes, he grimaced, he didn't put this megalomaniac strategy past his mad enemy, yet... His father had shown him the real figures of such a project and they definitely left quite a dent in the imperial treasure.

Since the Emperor was greedy in every possible ways, wasting that much of his money on more than one moon-sized ship didn't seem logical to the unwilling new imperial pupil.

No, he shook his head to himself, if Anakin knew only - had always known - about the two superweapons being secretly constructed, then there were only two of them.

For now, at least.

Next time that the taxes would increase throughout the galaxy, though, Luke would know what the extra funds were used for, i.e. a new super project.

From his position, standing by the large bay window of his father's lounge/library room, he had an unobstructed view of the man-made horror. His gaze slowly slid from weapon ports to hangar bays still in construction, to the focusing dish of the super laser.

Although thoroughly cut off from the Force, an echo of the agony that had filled the Force upon Alderaan's destruction clawed at his heart. That day, he had not been tuned enough to the Force to feel anything, but since then, Leia's sharing of her recurrent nightmare had triggered his own memories of what he had been doing at that moment, one of the worst moments in his best friend's life.

Then, during a meditation, he had someday found himself back in the past, on that very exact day, but as the Jedi in training that he had become instead of the mere Force potential that he had been back then.

When the Force had suddenly cried out with the simultaneous deaths of billions of Alderaani, the physical and spiritual agony had viciously torn him out of his trance before he had collapsed, completely out cold for the moment.

He had been found by Artoo who had eventually zapped him back to his senses.

Later on, when he had been recovered from his unusual experience, Luke had realized that for Ben to merely wince at that time, his mentor had had to be much more powerful and in control of himself than he had ever imagined.

Obi-Wan had clearly channelled and blocked out the worst of the pain whereas Luke, during his meditation, had been submerged by it.

Pain suppressing techniques, he mused next while he absentmindedly rubbed his suddenly aching left forearm. Not only could he use the Force to help him in his new predicament, but he could definitely use _any_ Jedi pain suppressing skill that he would already be able to master.

Although Luke was finally back on his feet after an excruciating long thirty six hours of forced bed rest, he was still far less recovered than he'd like to be.

Not-so-subtle pain still assailed his bones and muscles, and especially when he touched too hard or applied too much pressure on anything. Worse, if not for the injections of painkillers that he now received twice a day, he wouldn't even be out of his bed yet.

His muscles would simply be unable to strain past his fiery suffering, let alone support his suddenly _heavy_ weight.

Thus, while he was finally free of DR's constant monitoring, Sixpeeio still stood on standby not far away and in the room Luke was in. The youth was also allowed to move about, but he was strictly forbidden from engaging in any kind of strenuous activity, either mental or physical.

In short, he sighed and dug his mildly aching hands in the deep pockets of his loose thick lounging pants, he was ordered to be lazy. The problem was that, for as long as he could remember, he had never actually _been_ lazy. Daydreaming, yes, and bored, definitely, but willingly doing nothing while he was awake and not bedridden by his latest misadventure?

That had never been his style.

Besides, there had always been something that needed fixing or tinkering either at the farm or with the Alliance. That, or else he had used his rare free time to either read more about his favorite topic of the moment or simply catch up on his social life.

Granted, the latest had not been particularly productive, but it had been beneficial to him all the same, and it had kept him mentally busy enough to forget the slow and sometimes downright torturing passage of time as the day went by. In fact, time had always seemed to fly by during those all too short moments of respite from his various duties.

In his current golden cage, however, he had no one to talk with - Sixpeeio was nowhere as chatty as his predecessor - and except for reading and watching the holovid, which he disliked because of its imperial propaganda, there was really nothing of interest to help speed up his days.

His only relief was when his father finally caught a break from his commanding duties and had time to return to his quarters. While they were still getting acquainted with one another, and that Anakin wasn't always in a conciliating mood, the tension of their first exchanges had mostly receded.

From the first day that Anakin had reclaimed his life and body, they had primarily dealt with all the horrible mistakes that had resulted from their being enemies when they had first met. Then, they had both agreed that moving onward was their best option and they had begun to exchange about who they were other than warriors and Force strong individuals.

Luke had thus discovered that he had also inherited his father's skill with mechanics, but that Anakin's went further still so that his father could actually design new ships and other forms of technology before having them turned into functional prototypes.

They had also compared memories of harsh Tatooine, of Obi-Wan, and Luke had learnt much, much more about his grandmother and his mother.

Tonight, his father intended to tell him what had truly happened on Empire Day and the horrible secrets of Palpatine's rise to the title of Emperor. Luke looked forward to it, curious to see how far history had been altered to fit the story that everyone knew nowadays.

A new vise-like tightening appeared in the joints of his right hand and he twisted it further in his pocket in an attempt to warm it further.

He had quickly discovered that warmth helped soothe his aches further and his clothing preferences had turned to thick, long sleeved shirt and pants even though he was in temperate quarters. He just didn't want to be cold and ache further than he already did.

Outside his point of observation, Executor was now gliding so close to the ominous space station that he could actually see the flashes of the welding tools that were used by the techs in space suits. In less than a minute, he had counted more than a hundred of them just in the area he could see.

He had known that the project's scope was enormous, but he had never realized just how gigantic it truly was not only as a finished station but during the construction stage as well.

And to think that his first adventure had been to brashly rescue a beautiful girl that he had only seen in holographic form. Now that he knew what he would be getting into and just how huge the space labyrinth truly was, would he make the same decision?

One thought of his friend's lovely and determinate features and he had his answer: he could never abandon her or anyone else to their fate.

His line of thought then drifted to his other friend, who was trapped in carbonite because of him, and he clenched his eyes shut in regret and shame.

He was silently asking forgiveness to Han, Leia and Chewie for being unable to help anymore - when the power door of the lounge slid open and he barely heard the whisper of clothes and armor as one of his assigned Noghri bodyguards prostrated himself in the entrance.

"Forgive me, my Lord Son of Vader. An imperial emissary has arrived for you."

Annoyed yet again by the extreme deference that these aliens demonstrated when in his presence, Luke reluctantly turned around and raised his right hand out of his pocket, giving him a silent sign to rise again.

He just couldn't bring himself to adress them like he was truly lording over them. He just couldn't.

"Thank you, Cack'maim. Let him in."

With barely a whisper of his alien language into a concealed comlink, the door hissed open again while the Noghri leader assumed a position right by the door and inside the room, watching over his lord's son during the upcoming interview.

Normally, Luke would have noticed the overprotective behavior and bristle about it, but the moment that the visitor stepped into view, he forgot everything save for the emissary that Palpatine had sent to check on him in person.

* * *

Anakin was making arrangements for his first visit aboard the new Death Star, pondering how he could accomplish his duty and return as fast as possible aboard Executor when his comlink beeped with a signal.

Even without looking at the device, he knew from the unique thrilling sound that it came from the Noghri that he had assigned to his son's protection detail.

He also knew that they wouldn't signal him unless he was needed immediately back in his quarters.

Leaving Admiral Piett and his subordinates as they were, Anakin rushed out of the bridge and back toward his private chambers.

On his way there, he first wondered what his son could have gotten into that warranted such intervention, and then right on the heels of those thoughts, he remembered Luke's challenged health and suddenly worried that the boy had had a relapse or worse, that some new side-effect had appeared and threatened the child's life.

Using the Force, he pushed his front doors open before he had stepped within their sensor range, and then did the same with his concealed door. A Noghri guard already waited for him by the inner door and greeted him as per their custom.

Normally, he would treat the devoted alien servant with the respect he deserved, but it was not a normal situation.

"Rise and report."

"My Lord, a royal envoy arrived with sealed orders from his imperial highness. She demanded to be shown to the heir right away."

Royal envoy? Anakin gaped even as he felt what was left of his blood freeze in his veins. She?

With barely a glance at the official orders that the Noghri had passed on to him, he stalked further inside his quarters and headed straight for the presence of the envoy.

She was right next to Luke's absence, yet still far enough not to be affected by his son's inhibiting range.

Anakin completely ignored the two other Noghri that also greeted him upon his appearance in their field of vision, and then practically shoved Sixpeeio down to the deck when the droid came out just as Ani crossed the threshold of the lounge's door.

Then, he was standing in readiness, his hand poised to draw his lightsaber; because of the lack of visible threat against Luke, he then carefully held back so that there would be no accidental antagonizing from his part.

The imperial visitor then turned around, her ever-stunning red gold hair shining under the bright overhead lights while her green eyes instantly took in the particularities of his chosen stance.

"Lord Vader," she greeted with a bow of her head after she turned completely around to face him. "As I was saying to your son, I bring good news from our master."

Anakin felt the lump in his throat thicken with tension. He barely managed to sketch a bow of his own head at the deceptive beauty that was the Emperor's favorite and most loyal Hand agent. "Mara Jade. Welcome aboard the Executor."

In truth, though, they both knew that she was less then welcome in his and Luke's lives.

* * *

The moment that his father joined them, Luke was relieved by his presence yet worried further by the man's tension that was visible even to the naked eye.

Luke understood that, just as he had already surmised, this strikingly beautiful young woman was dangerous. Yet, despite the mounting discomfort, he still found himself drawn to her. 'Morbid curiosity,' he reasoned dimly. That was all there was to it.

Mara, he then thought, considering how his father had called her. He decided that it was a pretty if unusual name.

"What news do you bring, Emperor's Hand?" His father inquired even as he stepped closer yet was obviously careful to remain out of his Force-inhibiting zone.

So did the woman, he had already noticed.

He thus understood that both his father and the girl were preparing for a fight if need be.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"Our master has taken pity of your son's plight and isolation and has transferred  
me to the first position that he has created for the heir's future entourage. From this moment onward, I will be your son's bodyguard, roomate, and fellow student so that, when he steps out of the shadows, I will also ready for my role as his first aide."

"What?" Luke couldn't help but gape in shock.

His father, however, grew even tenser and tightly gripped his belt even as he surreptitiously brought his hands closer to his weapon.

The girl's hand was not far from her own dangling lightsaber.

"My son already has bodyguards, Mara Jade."

"Not anymore, my Lord. The Noghris have been reassigned to their original units."

"I see. So, basically, you are now my son's shadow."

"More like a permanent companion, my Lord." She turned her startling jewel green eyes toward him and Luke swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. The implication that there might someday be more than companionship forced upon them had not escaped his notice. He took another step backward in silent protest about how his life was being wrung further out of his hands and control.

His various aches reacted to his increased nervousness and tormented him worse in their unrelenting ways.

"Except when I am with him, Jade. I will not accept anything less than privacy when we finally have time to be together."

"Unless our master orders otherwise, Lord Vader, I can relinquish my charge to you when you are present. After all, you can undoubtedly ensure his safety at least as well as I can.

"Your vote of confidence is appreciated," his father sneered in sarcasm that matched the girl's.

Luke winced at the barely-veiled hatred that flowed between the two imperial servants.

"I also want my own bodyguard to watch over both of you," he added and the boy understood that his father was as worried about leaving him alone with the loyal imperial as Luke was by the prospect of being alone with her.

"If the master grants you this permission, of course, my Lord. I am only here to ensure your child's safety."

From even any plans that _they_ might have in the future, Luke read between the lines.

The Emperor truly trusted his father about as far as he could throw him...

"In regards to his schooling, the tutors will now only know that they are teaching two imperial pupils. The program is set to resume tomorrow morning, 0600, Coruscant time."

Luke threw an annoyed glance at his father, whose large shoulders deflated a little in defeat.

The Emperor had once again manipulated his older servant in a corner.

He was also clearly aware of his father's switch of Force allegiance and had made certain that he would still stay in his place.

Fabulous, Luke snorted inwardly. Just perfect.

"I will need a room within your son's suite but in the meantime, his couch will do."

"Wait!" Luke started, unable to remain silent anymore. "You mean?.."

"Close personal protection means _close_, Skywalker," she explained, focusing her wicked green orbs on him. "Surely you understand what it implies."

Oh yes, he gaped in horror, he understood all too well. Yes, the forced union was definitely part of the long-term plans now.

The Sith master would not give him even _any_ wiggle room ever.

"As long as you respect Luke's personal limits," his father cut in, taking two swift steps closer to him until he was positioned slightly between the two youths.

"And privacy," Luke added, thinking of all the daily actions that he performed and that he didn't want any observer present.

"The 'fresher and his bedroom will be his own, of course," she bowed her head yet the smirk on her petal lips suggested anything but deference toward them. "Besides, we can adjust as the situations present themselves. We will be together for a long while so I'm confident that your son and I will get to know each other very well."

His father remained silent, looming unpleasantly over the unintimidated young woman.

She brazenly stared back at him, as if daring him to challenge what she represented.

In the end, Anakin merely gestured toward the door. "Very well. You're dismissed until I return to the bridge."

She once again sketched a bow of acknowledgement. "My Lord." She then looked up and sought Luke's eyes. "I am looking forward to making better acquaintances, Skywalker."

Luke shuddered in nervousness and discomfort for as long as she hadn't left the lounge.

* * *

Anakin bristled in frustration and barely-restrained anger while he watched the deadly young assassin leave the room.

This was not good, not one single bit. Sidious had not only made certain that the child would always be under his control, but that he would also always be within hand's reach of a threat if his father ever strayed out of line.

Even now, the ex-Sith didn't need the Force to know that the girl was standing at attention just outside the door, barely giving them some privacy.

Sighing loudly in new defeat and annoyance, he turned around and stepped closer to his distraught son.

"I have a bad feeling about this," the youth began without preamble.

"Palpatine is once again three steps ahead of whatever we haven't even thought of," he agreed. "Don't be fooled by her deceptive slightness and beauty; Jade is the best and most loyal assassin that Palpatine ever trained. She is also Force sensitive, if a lot less than you or I."

"An assassin?"

"To keep _me_ in line, no doubt. He must have sensed my return to the Light."

"So...," the boy grimaced, "how should I act with her? She will be sticking to my side, no matter what, right?"

"Don't trust her. She is a master deceiver and will undoubtedly attempt to seduce you, gaining that much more control over you. Never forget that she was raised by the Emperor to be an extension of his will, hence the Hand title. Her loyalty will always and forever be to him and only him. She is the perfect slave, even more than I used to be."

"Then perhaps she could be saved-"

"You misunderstand," Ani shook his head, sternly cutting him off. "She is not only blindingly obedient to Sidious; she reports directly to him. She can communicate with him from anywhere with the Force and she lives only to serve him. Nothing else matters in her life and she doesn't see anything but the point of view given to her by her master. She may be sent as a bodyguard," he finished meaningfully, "but she is in fact a direct means to keep you in line and perhaps even twist you to his side."

Throughout his explanation, his son's eyes had widened until they looked as if they would soon fall from their orbits.

"The worst part, Son, is that if you try and explain her what I just said, she will not believe you. She has been brought up to believe that she serves a benevolent ruler that protects his subjects. Therefore, as far as she is concerned, anything else is a lie and treason."

"And this is who I am going to spend most of my time with?" Luke gaped in disbelief. "She might as well shoot me already because I might obey, but I will never willingly join the Sith."

"Which is why she's here. With her in your shadow, you will at least always obey... And he probably believes that she could become an incentive for you to join."

"He can dream on," Luke grounded out through gritted teeth.

Anakin knew how stubborn his little Jedi could be, thus trusted him when Luke said that he would not fall for Sidious' traps and deceit. However, he was also familiar with their slave master; his son's resistance would only be so much challenge to handle during the ruler's leisure time.

Both he and Luke were already beaten and everyone involved knew it.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked, stepping well into his son's zone of influence.

He knew that the danger would at least not come today.

* * *

Right outside the door of the room, Mara Jade stood, as if at attention.

In truth, however, she was not really aware of her surroundings while she reported to her master, as per orders.

*How fare my new pupil, my child?" He inquired suavely.

*I didn't see anything particularly amiss with him, Master. However, he was unpleasantly surprised by my arrival, as was Lord Vader."

*That was to be expected. Lord Vader is insanely protective of the boy. As for Skywalker, he is still adjusting to the imperial ways. Theu differ greatly from how the rebels conduct their business."

*Yes, Master," she answered with a mental bow of her head. *Lord Vader contests the removal of the Noghri guards."

"His trust in the aliens is beyond me," he sighed in annoyance. *He may keep one of his pets with them. You will choose which will remain."

*What of his request to be left alone with his son when they are together? I defered the decision to you, of course."

* * *

On his way back to Coruscant, Palpatine smiled devilishly at the girl's concerned question even as he watched and listened to the current conversation between father and son. Not even his spy knew of that particular arrangement so that she would truly stick to the boy like his shadow.

*It is of no concern for now. They are both sufficiently subdued by the boy's situation to not do anything but prattle about it. Should they ever start plotting, however, they will learn to dread even mere thoughts of escape. Keep an eye on them even from a distance, Child."

*I will endeavor to do so, Master. However, the boy's inhibiting effect stops me from eavesdropping through the Force."

*Yes... Of course. Be creative, then, my Hand. Speaking of which, how do you feel, standing close to the Forceless boy?"

"It... is strange, Master, but bearable. I am confident that I will grow used to it in no time."

*Good, then deal with Vader's pets and carry on, young one. Be inspiring for our reluctant new asset."

He then closed off the link while she mentally bowed in obedience, and then he refocused his attention on the image of the talking men. While he listened with half an ear as they talked about the boy's mother, Sidious focused his sight on the boy's non-verbal signals.

He sneered maliciously when the brat unconsciously flexed his hand before he rubbed his phalanges in a soothing fashion.

The new drugs were already taking effect, he smiled devilishly. Before long, the child would always be in pain except for the few blessed hours after his new dose of _painkillers._

No one would ever suspect that those shots were not helping him and were, instead, what actually kept him in that unrecovered state.

Once the boy's body couldn't function without the _relief, _he would begin to include other elements that would help him mould the youth into his future and even better new Sith apprentice.

No one would ever notice what was happening until it was too late to change anything.

If it didn't alert Skywalker that something was wrong, then just before the boy killed his own father, he would thank ex-Lord Vader for turning back to the Light.

Indeed, without that incommensurable loss, he wouldn't have come up with an even more devious scheme to gain himself a new and worthy apprentice.

The saying was right, he cackled in private jubilation: in challenges laid growth and improvement.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? How did you like the extra insight you got into Luke's worsening situation? Did you like his belated experience with Alderaan's destruction, but as a Jedi? How did you like Ani's reaction to the identity of the imperial emissary? How did you like her identity? What do you think her role will be in the upcoming months? How furious were you at Palpatine as you discovered just how evil he would be to Luke in this fic? Anything else to share?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts and this is the season to be giving! Moreover, they can make me write and post faster than I normally can. Of course, I always do my best to post more as soon as possible, but I can never guarantee fast updates, as you might have noticed by now. However, the more reviews I get, the more I really want and even strain to '_make_' that next post happen faster, so ;P Please, pretty please?


	10. Chapter 10

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2013

* * *

Previously: Vader allowed himself to be captured by the rebels so that he could capture his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced him to cooperate with his plans to groom him into the Empire's third-in-command. After confrontations over ideology and plans for his future, Luke found out about his father's past tragedy and reluctantly submitted himself to a customized self-schooling higher-degree program. The Emperor, dissatisfied with the confusion that the boy generated, threatening Vader's darkness, then decided to chemically cut Luke off from the Force _as well as_ turn him into a Force-inhibitor. The result of that attack did not only turn Anakin back to the light but also caused great physical pain to the young Jedi captive. However, because of Anakin's return, Palpatine decided to move to plan B. Luke thus became stuck with Mara Jade as a permanent companion/bodyguard/fellow student/future aide. Palpatine, meanwhile, schemed further in regards to his future new apprentice.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

Thanks as well for all the new favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details but your interest is already precious to me :) I only cross my fingers that I'll be worthy of your vote of confidence

And on with the new part of Unexpected! I cross my fingers that you'll continue to have fun ;P And please, don't be shy and share your thoughts afterward! I don't bite, I promise, and hearing from my interested readers brings so much Sun in my life!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Unexpected 10: Adjustments**

The next morning came way too fast for the still recovering captive Jedi.

Unlike how it had been for almost a week, he was not allowed to sleep in. Instead, he was roused from deep sleep by the already-hated wail of his motion-deactivated waking alarm.

He first tried to block his ears with his pillow and hands and go back to sleep, but the strident noise only grew louder until it made it past his lame attempt to block it. The harsh light of his room became even brighter, making it past his still closed eyelids and the cocoon of blankets that he had tried to wrap and shelter himself in.

Then, the torturing alarm clock shut off, and he sighed in relief - only to be shocked out of his mind when the blankets were suddenly pulled off of him, exposing his bare torso and lightly-covered legs to someone's scrutiny.

He yelped in horror even as he ignored his complaining back and bolted up, reflexively extending a hand to grab back his coverings.

That's when he finally caught sight of the interloper that had taken side with the enemy in his latest battle against the alarm clock. "Jade!"

"Rise and shine, Farmboy," she smirked in sarcastic amusement.

Luke glared at her even as he pulled the blankets back over his half-clothed form. "What are you- Get out of my room!" He finally snapped in resentment and hostility once his still foggy brain finally processed exactly what had happened so far. "That's off limits for you and-"

"Unless I deem it necessary to ignore those personal limits, and as far as I'm concerned, stopping that alarm from shrieking onward qualifies as a good reason to do so. Now, get up already or I will _'really'_ pull you out of bed."

"Get. Out!" he repeated bitingly. "I'm up now so you're not needed anymore and I most certainly _'don't'_ want you to stay until I'm properly dressed."

"Oh, so you're the shy and prudish kind, huh, Farmboy?"

He stared harder at the mean moniker that she had apparently adopted for him.

"All right, don't get your panties in a knot," she waved dismissingly at him. "Just get up and ready. We start the courses at 0600."

Great, he grimaced before he yawned hard. It was yet again wayyyy before his normal waking hour.

Then, he actually focused on the actual reason for his current bad mood - and he felt himself blush at the sight of the scantily clad beauty that his blankets had concealed so far. He then became _'acutely'_ aware that her svelte body was covered with sweat that made her body-tight short clothes cling even more to her curv-

He quickly averted his eyes, staring straight at the wall opposite his door and he stayed like that until he heard his door slide close once again.

Boy, that was not his typical morning!.. Worse, she didn't even seem to mind either his or hers state of clothing, or lack thereof. That was _'not'_ starting well.

Not at all.

At least, he heartened himself while he recovered from his first shock of the day, she hadn't remained once he had told her to leave, and she hadn't woken him up earlier than his pre-set alarm even though she had clearly been up and about for a while.

Didn't she sleep? He frowned while he carefully stretched his cramped shoulder blades and neck before he slowly slid out of the comfortable bed that seemed to throw a spell of sleep on him at the mere sight of it...  
No, he sighed in resignation. He had to get up and get dressed or else Jade was liable to come back and actually drag him out of his room, no matter his state of undress.

He also had to eat breakfast before 0600 or he would have to wait until lunch time to eat again –he knew that she would not let him leave until break time, not even to eat anything.

She had made that much clear to him the previous evening when she had informed him that only one 'fresher break would be allowed per three hours so that they _'would'_ follow the schedule to the letter. If she had to, she would even cuff him to his chair the rest of the time but they would not stray from the pre-arranged schedule, not even from a few minutes.

Personally, he didn't feel like testing that threat, or any threat for that matter.

Wincing at the needles of pain that greeted him once he rested his weight on his feet - just like usual now - he forced himself to move past the pain until it had disappeared. By then, he was standing in front of his open closet and refrained from sighing yet again, in dejection this time.

Black.

Everything was black in there and, just like everything else in his life now, he had no say over it anymore.

He was still wondering what to wear when a loud knock on his outer door startled him out of his funk.

"Come on, Skywalker, breakfast's not going to wait for us forever," the already familiar voice of his unwanted bodyguard/co-student drifted through his closed door.

He didn't grace her with an answer as that would be pointless anyway.

Making up his mind, more because he had to than because he wanted to, he pulled out a black shirt and pants that, in his opinion, wasn't any different than the others that still hung in his closet.

Finally, once he was dressed, he threw on the military-cut jacket that he had taken to wearing to keep himself warmer. He then shoved his already aching hands in his pockets while he stepped out and joined the properly-dressed Mara Jade. Near the main entrance of his quarters, Khabarakh, the only Noghri that had been allowed to stay with him, greeted him with the formal greeting of his people for their savior and his now-revealed heir.

"Good morning, Khabarakh," he addressed him, pointedly ignoring the impatient young woman who was finishing plaiting her long hair while tapping her foot in annoyance.

Despite his cold shoulder, however, he still noticed that she looked fresh out of the shower, but it couldn't be, could it? He pondered that possibility while he made his way out of his suite and toward the dining room that he had become familiar with. Could Jade be able to take a shower, dry herself and get dressed in less than ten minutes? Or had she simply skipped the shower to get dressed faster, in which case it would not say much about her personal hygiene...

Unless he had taken longer than ten minutes to get ready? But no, he shook his head to himself, he had noticed the time on his clock upon standing up from his bed, and once again before leaving, and it was barely twelve minutes since he had been forced to rise.

* * *

He was still pondering that mystery when Sixpeeio's shining form came up around the bend of the corridor that led to his father's pressurized quarters. "Good morning, young Master," the prissy droid greeted him formally. "DR wanted me to remind you to report to him after breakfast for your morning shot."

"Thank you, Sixpeeio," Luke pouted, already annoyed by the fact that even after six days, he still had to be injected with strong painkillers, yet he could already feel his aches worsening with each new movement. Hence, he knew that his shots were necessary, at least if he wanted to be able to function even a little, and the expectations pushed on him required that he be able to function more than he cared if he didn't want to face unpleasant consequences.. or rather worse consequences than those he was already dealing with. "I know. That reminder won't be necessary anymore."

Indeed, it wouldn't be required anymore since his body would always remind him of that need at the first opportunity.

"Good morning as well, Mistress Jade," the courteous droid greeted his shadow, whom Luke had temporarily forgotten about.

He frowned at the rude assassin when she ignored the droid and simply walked past her charge to be the first through the doors of the dining room.

Checking for dangers, he understood and grimaced in silent complaint at his father, who had risen upon seeing her coming in first.

"Your services are not required at the moment, Emperor's Hand. My son will rejoin you _'after'_ breakfast," Anakin said in a very regal and formal fashion.

"I'm merely getting some breakfast of my own first, my Lord," the imperial agent replied while she grabbed a plate and a cup of kaff before she winked at the still drowsy young Jedi and stepped back out.

Luke scowled at her misplaced teasing attitude but didn't have the energy to turn around and follow her out with his eyes.

What was she doing? He wondered while his father pulled out a chair for him with the Force. He didn't know her nearly enough to be that informal with him, and if she thought that it was the way to make him feel comfortable with her then she would be disappointed.

It unbalanced him, sure, but it didn't make him feel more at ease with her compulsory presence around him.

"I felt antagonism around the time you were to wake up, and then she disappeared from my senses when she stepped closer to you. Did you and her have a face off already?"

"Well, yeah," the youth shrugged and wrapped his cold hands around the hot cup of kaff. He almost sighed in bliss upon feeling some of his pain recede from his joints.

"She didn't roughen you, did she?"

"Only my blankets and my dignity," he grimaced. "It's the last time that I sleep bare torso. I don't care about my usual night sweats; I am 'not' exposing myself to her ever again."

"Nor would I want you to," Anakin agreed, "but did I understand correctly that she already breached the limits we set and that she went into your room without your consent?"

"Yeah," he answered and closed his eyes as the remnant of sleep tugged anew at his drowsy mind. "She said that she had to because I was not rising fast enough."

"That does not bode well," Anakin mused out loud while he passed the bread basket to him.

"No, it doesn't," the youth sighed. He slowly munched on his chosen breakfast of the day, namely toasted slices of fresh-baked bread and cheese, and then looked back at his father in between bites. "What can we do about it, though? She even takes precedence over Khabarakh, which is why he didn't intervene to stop her."

"Yes, and Khabarakh is still very inexperienced and young. She chose the least proficient Noghri of the group to watch over the two of you." The ex-Sith slowly shook his head in frustration. "She is even cleverer than I estimated. How else does she behave so far?" He asked him next.

Luke swallowed hard his latest bite, suddenly feeling queasy. "She, huh... she's acting rather… informal, I guess. I think that it is a strategy to make me lower my defenses faster."

"Yes, it must be. I didn't expect that, however. The Mara Jade I know has always been like the distinguished agent that you met yesterday. However, I have never seen her with people of her age, therefore your situation might be different enough to explain her unusual attitude."

"That or it's yet another way for Palpatine to challenge me in my choice to only obey instead of joining willingly. She might also merely be a means to drive me to madness until I really break. She sure knows just how to simultaneously push all my buttons."

To his surprise, his father chuckled. "Well, at least she'll keep you on your toes, and if the two of you are always fighting, she can't make you fall for her wiles."

"So you figured that out, too, huh?" Luke muttered and took another bite of his breakfast.

"And you did as well, I'm glad. Yes, I suspect that it's not a coincidence that, out of all the agents that Palpatine could have send, he chose her. She has been known to beguile quite a few suitors before she dealt with them as per her orders. No doubt that she has standing orders to charm you as well, and since you're not one for formality, she is trying the complete opposite."

"Well, I'm not going to tell her that it's not working, but it is still annoying. I don't know her all that much, and she doesn't know me nearly enough to be calling me 'Farmboy', or anything, really, and certainly not in that half-sarcastic, half-teasing way of hers."

"Clearly, she has read your file several times over to come up with that moniker. It means that everything I knew and reported before the Emperor's visit, she knows as well. I must warn you that there is a complete psychological profile in your file. I'm sorry, Son," he apologized, somehow managing to appear contrite despite his black armor and ominous artificial breathing.

"Great, so she's in my head already. This is just getting better and better," the youth concluded sardonically.

Anakin merely nodded, aware that words could not express how cornered and outplayed they truly were.

* * *

In the youths' living room, Mara Jade finished her breakfast and leaned back in the comfortable couch – at least comfortable to sit on.

As a bed, it was too cramped. She certainly didn't catch a good rest when she slept on it , if she could call her short nap _'sleeping'_.

However, she had slept in worst positions and places than that, so she would make do until her own room was set up, in a day or so. She had already placed her order the previous night and the extra room was being created while she went about her activities.

It would be nice to have her own place in these quarters that reeked of Vader's betrayal against their master. Granted, there were no signs per se of what she knew to be true, but the urge to punish the armored man would not leave her.

However, unlike normally when she was ordered to do so in order to teach a lesson to a traitor, in this case, she couldn't assault the detractor. Her master had been crystal clear when he had told her not to molest the boy in any way, not even to get back at Vader – the ex-rebel was too physically fragile now – and that taking directly on the father was not part of her new duties. Besides, even though she hated admitting to a weakness, Vader was still the more powerful of the two and he would not hesitate to kill her if she gave him reason to.

That only left her with one way to keep an eye on the traitor, and that was to spy on him through his son. The problem, however, was that with the boy cutting them off from the Force, she could not use her sixth sense to overhear their private conversations.

She'd have to do it with technology then, she decided, but how and with what? The Noghri didn't let her out of his sight except when she was sleeping and she could not overrule that kind of order as he wasn't endangering her... merely making her job harder.

Obviously, she would only have privacy once her room would be ready... Or in the 'fresher, of course.

However, as far as setting up surveillance went, the latter was completely useless to her.

Gah! Cursed Noghris! The stupid animals were as loyal to the dark lord of the Sith as she was loyal to her master. The fools!

Back to her problem at hand, though, that left her with the boy as a possible source of information, but how...

She pondered the problem for as long as the unexpectedly well-built young man returned in their common quarters. She had to admit that, for someone who couldn't be trained in any physical way anymore, he was surprisingly well toned.

She could only hope that, if they were to become consorts and produce imperial heirs someday, he would still be in that kind of shape despite his new condition. It would make him easier on the eyes, not to mention that bedding fat men just wasn't her thing.

Right now, however, the object of her concerns was once again covered from head to toes in black and, like the previous day when she had met him, he wore an extra layer of clothes in the form of a jacket that efficiently concealed his exact shape. No wonder that she hadn't suspected what he looked like underneath.

What startled her yet again, though, were his cerulean blue eyes. They were so unlike any other blue eyes that she had seen before, neither too dark nor too pale to look out of place.

They were just right, like his current physical shape.

"All right, let's get started so that we can finish already with this nonsense," he grumbled on his way to the study that had been organized for his studying hours.

"Of course, being granted the privilege to study in the most prestigious universities of the Empire _'and'_ from your own quarters is but nonsense to a farmboy from a tenth-rate backwater planet," she rebutted him while she followed him inside the well-furnished room.

Her master was correct in his description of the youth's mindset; he was definitely less than willing to benefit from what was offered to him on a silver platter.

She would have to fix that as well.

"I'd rather stay _'ignorant'_ and be free than knowledgeable and stuck here," he retorted, retrieving a bunch of pads from the shelves before he carelessly tossed them on the large table/desk.

"Well, learn to make do, Farmboy. You are unfortunately stuck with being part of the imperial elite. You are so _'unlucky'_ that I pity you. Not."

Those blue eyes of his turned to icy chips and he glared from under his eyelashes at her while he sat in one of the available comfortable chairs. "It's not about pity, Jade. It's about being able to choose for myself."

"As if you know what's best for you," she snorted back while she checked her stylus on the nearest pad. "Oh, wait, I forget. You have spent four years with the Rebellion so you're even more experienced and wise than your elders, let alone his Royal Highness."

Skywalker merely glowered harder at her and she understood that she had won that round.

Slowly but surely, she would convert him to their side.

The good side.

It was her duty and failure was not an option.

They called up the first course of the day on the main screen of the wall that they faced and, after loading the day's lesson on a pad, began their university studies.

It would be but the first of many similar mornings and countless hours to come.

TBC

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Well? How was that? Did you expect less or more from our dear miss Jade ;P And what do you expect from her next ;P How did you like Luke's reaction to the beginning of his life as a forced student? Do you think that everything went well during that first day ;P How do you envision it? How did you like the stolen father/son moment? And, of course, the very first confrontation between the two youths over how to pull Luke out of bed ;P Anything else to share?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long! Moreover, they can make me write and post faster than I normally can. Of course, I always do my best to post more as soon as possible, but I can never guarantee fast updates, as you might have noticed by now. However, the more reviews I get, the more I really want and even strain to '_make_' that next post happen faster, so ;P Please, pretty please?


	11. Chapter 11

Unexpected

By Mireille

2000/2013

Previously: Vader unexpectedly allowed himself to be captured by the rebels so that he could capture his son yet again. He then blocked Luke's Force ability and forced him to cooperate with his plans to groom him into the Empire's third-in-command. Unlike the previous time that he held his son, Vader threatened him not with physical suffering but of undergoing a memory wipe so that he _would_ be his son and never even remember that he ever had friends in the rebellion. Unwilling to allow Vader to use him and his skills without being able to at least protect his friends if only by trying to appeal for them, Luke reluctantly yielded and submitted himself to Vader's grooming plans. Then, they kept clashing over ideology of every nature, Luke found out about his father's past tragedy and began to see him as more than a monster while said monster found his cool head challenged by the presence of his questioning and constantly disagreeing son. The Emperor, dissatisfied by the boy's threat to his servant's darkness, then decided to chemically cut Luke off from the Force _as well as_ turn him into a Force-inhibitor. The result of that unexpected direct attack did not only turn Anakin back to the Light but also caused great physical pain to the young Jedi captive. Infuriated by his failure to steep his powerful older servant back into the Darkness, Palpatine sent Mara Jade in and assigned her as a permanent companion/bodyguard/fellow student/future aide to the Forceless pest. With her presence to keep both Jedi in line while pushing their tempers at every turn, he maintained high hopes for his beaten if incredibly hard-headed young new apprentice.

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Good evening everyone! First of all, thanks to the awesome three readers who reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really mean a lot to me! I guess the small number of comments mean that it was not as good as those that preceded it… Sorry about that. I'll do my best to do better with this new one

Thanks as well for all the new favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details but your interest is already precious to me :) I only cross my fingers that I'll be worthy of your vote of confidence.

And on with the new part of Unexpected! I cross my fingers that you'll continue to have fun ;P And please, don't be shy and share your thoughts afterward! I don't bite, I promise, and hearing from my interested readers brings so much sunny-like love in my life! It also makes me want to post faster ;P

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Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Unexpected 11: The new routine**

Three days later, at 1901, Luke was almost eager to receive his last shot of painkillers of the day.

Anything to allow him out of that Force-awful cramped study that he already disliked thoroughly. Of course, the fact that his pain returned with a vengeance by the end of the day, and just before his diner break, didn't help in any way, but Jade didn't understand his agonizing predicament and scoffed loudly at what she thought was mere childish impatience to get out of the _'cell'_ he was locked in for the day.

After spending their second day together arguing over every single topic that had come up between them, he had simply stopped retorting to her remarks, using Yoda's Jedi calming techniques to let her barbs slide harmlessly off of him. She didn't and would never understand anyway. Indeed, as far as she was concerned, they should both be honored to be granted the possibility to prepare for what awaited them sooner than later. Period.

She couldn't understand that there was a life outside of the Empire and that he couldn't just forget it because of where and who he was expected to become. He had not misbehaved in any way, as per his previous agreement with his father, but that did not mean that he liked any of what he was forced to do and learn.

Besides, the subjects of his courses were boring him to tears and, if Jade hadn't been there to kick him in the shin – a kick that had made Khabarak intervene by pulling his chair out of her reach, as well as a hit that had hurt for almost ten long minutes afterwards – his head would have hit the table when it had suddenly slid off of the hand on which it had been heavily leaning.

He couldn't help it, he shrugged the incident away. Politics were just soooo mind numbing. At least, advanced mathematics were interesting enough to stimulate him a little more, and other languages had always intrigued him.

Economics, however, as well as philosophy and psychology were quickly proving to not be part of his fortes, and sciences were still as abstract to him as they ever were. His only relief was advanced mechanics.

Now, that, he could study all day long and never grow bored.

He also liked History okay, but since he knew that it was not the truth about the past, he didn't pay much attention to his quick reading. As for communication skills, he understood all too well what they were going to do to him and he didn't like the idea of being turned into a haughty-sounding person that didn't talk like normal people did.

Just like his father did not speak like a Tatooine export anymore, he pointed out to himself.

Still, he could play the game of pretending to learn, but he would not apply that new knowledge to his speech unless he really had to.

And tomorrow, he sighed forlornly, he was going to start his cultural exploration course, as well as his first military-oriented tactical course. As for his astrogation lesson, he doubted that he still had much to learn from it considering how much he had travelled from one side of the galaxy to the other in the last years.

At least _'that'_ would be easy, he sighed in resignation.

It was more than he could say about the management courses that would only teach him how to be an imperial leader and not a true and positive leader like he had been becoming so far.

His only reprieve in this nightmare was that, since he couldn't train in self-defense anymore, his evenings could be used to either complete assignments, improve his flying skills with his father's help, or learn everything he could about the Jedi and the Force even though he was cut off from the Force.

The first night after his new routine, his father had taught him how to meditate and reach his center so that he could keep his serenity and find his inner strength no matter what he was faced with while with Jade.

It was also helping him cope better with both his unpleasant daily schedule and his unceasing pain.

"Welcome, young master," DR greeted him when he finally walked into the medcenter. "You are right on time."

"And not too soon either, DR," he answered while he undid the upper clasps of his black tunic so as to expose his neck and right shoulder. "They came back faster today."

"How fast?" DR inquired while he brought the hypospray to rest against his already marked and blotched skin.

"Almost half an hour faster."

He hissed and clenched his teeth at the new and agonizing injection of the hypospray, and then welcomed the almost instantaneous effect that the painkillers had on his whole crippled body.

He looked up when the door slid open and his father's trademark breathing filled the small room. He silently acknowledged his presence before he turned back toward the droid. "How much longer is it going to last, DR?"

"No test could give me that information, young master. No one was ever affected like you either. You are a precedent."

"I'd readily pass up that _privilege_," he muttered while he rubbed his sore shoulder blade. Nine days by now, which meant twenty-seven injections and he was already hurting to the point that he always felt the injection spot.

He didn't dare imagine how worse it would be if it went on for much longer.

"Whining never helps and even worsens the problem, Son."

"I know, but it still feels better than saying nothing," he answered and winced when the droid helped him to arrange his clothes, only to brush against his injections' welt.

"Unfortunately so," Anakin nodded while he waited for him by the door. "Your diner is served and hot. Come eat while it is still edible."

Aware that his father was trying to distract him from his physical predicament, Luke slowly slid back down to the deck – he couldn't hop down anymore, or at least not without adding to his suffering through his resounding bones – and walked toward him. "So far, Father, everything I've eaten here could be left on the table for days on end and still be more edible than survival rations."

"Perhaps," Anakin wheezed, which meant that he was in fact snickering at his joke but his vocoder was unable to translate that kind of human sound, "but I wouldn't care to test that theory. Come."

* * *

After his son had finished his plate, which he had cleaned up like a certain other young Skywalker used to, they retired to Vader's office where Luke could work on his assignment while they caught up on each other's day and lives.

That gave Anakin the time he needed to work on his own side project. Now that his new and custom HRD had been delivered, it was up to him to set it up to his specifications.

While it sounded easy, he had soon discovered that there were many more possible adjustments than he had thought possible. Although it meant that his son's true identity would be even better protected than he had first planned, it also required very advanced skills to even get the droid to act like a free-willed being rather than an automaton.

Since his son would be anything but a robot when the boy would finally be able to accompany him in the guise of his new aide, it was primordial that the droid double fit the youth's appearance down to even the slightest twitch of his fingers when his pains became more insistent.

Thus, spending his evenings with his son served a double purpose: it allowed them to bond further while he could also study the boy's non-verbal communication in so much depth that Luke's double would be a perfect physical replica of his son's height, size, expressions, intonation, and even his unconscious body movements.

For now, though, he hadn't shared his plans with the youth, who thought that he was working on some duty or another for the Emperor. Anakin just wasn't certain that revealing his project to his still very-rebellious son would be a good idea, not to mention that the Emperor would instantly interpret it the wrong way if he were to hear of it at this stage of the process.

No, he was better advised to keep his secret intention to himself until the time came to actually introduce the boy to his double in disguise, a disguise that would be, by then, also programmed into a portable hologram so that Luke would be able to leave his current prison without incurring any risk of ever being identified as either his son or as the ex-rebel hero. The latter was, of course, so that the Alliance didn't recognize him and rescue the youth. The former, however, was intended to protect the now helpless boy from every single enemy that would love to hurt Vader in any possible way, thus through his still-to-be-revealed son.

Since Sidious had not set any obligation for Luke to introduce himself or to prepare for an official introduction as the son of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Anakin could only surmise that if he so wished, he could keep Luke hidden away from the galaxy and Vader's harsh nemesis. However, if the Sith Master expected him to do so while keeping the boy cooped up forever within the limited quarters of Executor or of his other quarters aboard other ships or on various planets, Palpatine was in for a surprise.

Anakin could only hope that he'd manage to soften the shock of the surprise so that their master would understand that he was not planning their escape – he knew how futile it would be given his own limiting suit and his son's unique new problem. Indeed, he didn't put it past their cruel slaver to make certain that Luke could never find relief again unless he remained under his dominion, or so he deduced from the bad feeling that he had whenever it was time for his son to receive a new shot of painkillers.

Besides, he knew how his master thought and, with the unfortunately newly acquired experience of how far he could go to control someone, Anakin had no delusion that between Jade's constant presence around or nearby his son, his son's Forceless status and even his unrelenting aches, the Emperor had already made certain that his new slave couldn't escape from even his distant reach.

As for his son's future, there was no doubt in Anakin's mind that the Emperor would never be satisfied with Luke becoming a mere third-in-command under his father. He had been a fool to believe that he would be granted even that kind of family relathionship while Palpatine still owned them.

No, there would be no halfway for Sidious in regards to the young Jedi captive. In time, the Sith master would undoubtedly proceed to turn the youth into his future Sith apprentice so that just as Vader became obsolete due to old age, Luke would already be broken, groomed and trained to step into Vader's boots.

Although Anakin didn't foment escape plans for now, he vowed to himself that he would find a way to change the future so that while his son would eventually recover the Force – he was certain that Palpatine would give it back to him when he felt the youth ready for his Sith training – Luke would never have to cross the line and serve the Dark Side of the Force.

If necessary, Anakin would die to prevent such a horrible fate from befalling his little Jedi like it had him.

"Ugh!" the object of his thoughts groaned and leaned back in his chair. Anakin swiftly looked up in concern, just in time to see the youth push his current pad away. He sighed in relief as it didn't appear to be the result of another round of worse agony. "What's wrong?" he still inquired solicitously.

Luke grimaced some more, rubbing his right index absentmindedly while he did so, and then finally looked up at him. "Why in heck are there Vodran lessons in my accelerated curriculum? Doesn't accelerate mean _essential_ as well?" he grumbled in resentment.

"If it's there," Anakin answered, "it's because it's considered essential."

"Really? A dead language? And I'm supposed to be the illogical one," Luke muttered under his breath. "Just kill me already, please?" he then commented, locking his blue gaze on Vader's lenses. "This is even worse than torture."

"Luke," he rebuked him, focusing all his attention on his dejected child. "Don't tempt the Sith... your circumstances – our circumstances – could be much more horrible than they are. At least, we are together and you o_nly_ have to study for your exams. You don't have to train physically as well in spite of your new condition – "

"Yeah, but that's just to keep me in as vulnerable a state as possible," the ever clever youth interrupted his argument.

"Unfortunately," he agreed with him. So his son had also understood that nothing in their living arrangements had been allowed unless it could be turned by their slaver into an advantage against them. "Still, what are a few Vodran lessons compared to anything worse that could happen or that you have been through already?"

"Lessons that I have to succeed, don't forget... My head is already so full of pointless information that I just can't digest more nonsense. Not tonight anyway."

Anakin checked the clock inset in his desk. "Well, it's a little after 2200. I'd say that the day is mostly over, yes. Besides, I have read that the human brain does need breaks from time to time if it is to retain its ability to learn."

His son furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Basically, you need time to digest what you have already learnt before you can add to it."

"Oh, great, now why don't you tell that to Palpatine?"

"I plan to do so," he admitted honestly, "but not after only three days in the program. He will need more proof than that. Besides, if Jade also experiences problems from the relentless schedule, it will add that much more weight to my argument in your favor, so patience _'is'_ our best ally in this matter."

"Okay, but please, don't end up adding a year of study to my predicament. It's hard enough dealing with four, or rather, three years and four-hundred and seventeen days left of compulsory studying."

"And that is if you succeed each course the first time around," Anakin couldn't help but add as he winced in sympathy at his outplayed son. And to think that it had been 'his' idea of going easy on the boy when he had first planned for his new capture.

He doubted that there ever was a greater fool than him alive, or if there ever would be ever again.

"I don't intend to fail...," the youth answered, "but I don't think that every subject included in my curriculum agrees with my brain. I mean, sciences and psychology? I will do my best but I've never been good in science, and psychology just knocks me out after fifteen minutes of reading. It's just so boring..."

"Well," Anakin smiled at his son's youthful honesty and disgruntled attitude. "If it can be a useful incentive, think of your initiation to psychology as a training to learn how to deal and communicate with Jade without falling in the traps that she and Palpatine lay for you through her behavior and comments."

His son raised his eyebrows at that suggestion and turned thoughtful for a moment. "I hadn't seen it like that... It could definitely prove useful without delay."

"There you go. As for sciences, I will show you reports that I have to read on a daily basis and you will know what to focus on and what to leave to the true experts." He checked on his discarded pads of the day, eliminated a few of them, and finally found the one that he was looking for. "Here's a first one."

His son accepted his suggestion without resistance and took a look at the pad's content, and then threw a gaze at the other pads that he had discarded. "Do you have any other examples of how my other more testing topics will be used in the end? If I knew what to focus on, it would really help me save time for that, I'm sure."

"Which other example would you need?" his father inquired in answer.

Luke rattled off the numerous topics that were really challenging for him, which were almost all of them. The only courses that he was not worried about were advanced mechanics and flying – of course – as well as resource management, maths, and almost every language lesson save for the more esoteric ones. Thankfully, he already knew Hutteese, from Tatooine, and Bothese, which he had learnt while in the Alliance.

Anakin gave him several other pads that should also help him figure out what the various lessons were aiming for.

Of course, his teachers couldn't state that his chemistry lessons were to understand all the reports that he would have to read form their scientists, or the economy coaches couldn't state that he would have to be able to anticipate and sometimes influence the prosperity and peace of a world by increasing/decreasing its benefits or specifics markets., but Luke was fortunate to have his father to guide him. Said father had had to learn most of that from the seat of his pants.

Oh, the Jedi had taught him the basics of everything, but he had been poorly prepared for what Palpatine had literally dumped on him a few months after the Empire's birth, namely that he also had to deal with the administration from time to time, not only the military.

He had then discovered that the imperial military also had to produce administrative reports from time to time, reports that he had never had to deal with as a Jedi general. Then, a few years later, he had had to use the army not only as a weapon of war but of complete control in any possible way.

That had and still included using economy when needed, psychology or philosophy when better advised, and even diplomacy – or a mockery of it – if appropriate.

Then, to support all those other ways to fight against the rebellions throughout the years, an arsenal of experts had begun to report and work for him and/or the Emperor, and thus, Darth Vader had become a military/political manager and bonafide Sith Lord.

He had also learnt his particular trade the hard way since every single failure, whether it were due to his lack of knowledge or a true failure from his part, had been severely and harshly punished so that he had sought the missing knowledge and experience in every possible way, making sure that he would never be tortured for the same mistake ever again.

Slowly but surely, he had grown proficient in everything required of him by his unforgiving master. Luke was truly fortunate to at least be given the time to learn before being put into service, even now that his intended mentor was not as devoted to the Empire as he used to be.

Besides, the unchanged arrangements gave them that much more time to figure out a way out of their invisible bonds.

A loud yawn drew his attention back to the youth that sat in front of him. "I think it's time to put little Jedi to bed," he teased him, aware that the boy liked but disliked his new pet name for him.

"Father," he whined, just like he expected him to.

"Come on, Son," he rose to his feet, careful to turn off his work session before he left his office unguarded. "It's time for bed. You have another long day tomorrow, and those reports are not going anywhere. You can read them tomorrow evening."

* * *

From her room inside the adjoining quarters, Mara Jade watched and listened to the conversation that was picked up and transmitted by the cellular monitoring camera that she had stuck on Skywalker's shoulder earlier in the day.

It had taken her less than a day to figure out how she could spy on the two would-be traitors, and an extra hour to inform her master of her plan.

The next day, the rest of her belongings had been delivered, late in the day, and with them, enough of the top-secret surveillance devices to last her for several years. The thin particular technology was just that small. As for her own means to listen in, it was a permanent device that she had pushed out of sight in her right ear while the camera signal was matched to her personal pad.

The key to her daily success was not for her to plant her camera – which was so easy that it was not worth thinking about it – but for her charge to wear the same clothe when he was with his father during the evening.

So far, Skywalker hadn't changed clothes but tonight, she had had to remind him to take his jacket with himself when he had left their classroom. While it could have given away her whole strategy, she had simply shrugged and reminded him that it was cooler in the rest of their quarters and he hadn't considered her motives any further.

Thank the Force for small miracles.

Her charge was already suspicious enough of her motives without giving him more food for thoughts.

While she turned off her surveillance screen now that he was back in their quarters and into the 'fresher - so that her cam was trapped between layers of discarded black clothes - she reconsidered what she knew of him already.

First of all, it was clear that he had figured out that she was had been trying to charm him with her wiles. However, unlike normal men, Skywalker seemed oblivious to what she was offering and grew even upset when she went on with her efforts despite his lack of interest.

Could Skywalker be attracted to men? No, she shook her head, his profile had stated that he was suspected of having an affair with the rebel princess, and even his own father, who had scanned his mind with the Force several times, had never found any clue as to anything other than stock interest in the opposite sex.

Therefore, Skywalker was not either into men or aliens; he was as straight as they came. So, she wondered yet again, what was his problem with her? She knew that she was a beautiful young woman when she put her mind to it, and she was more than dedicated to reaching her goal when it came to her charge. So how could he resist her?

He couldn't be that noble, could he?

Granted, his profile had also stated that despite the absence of the princess' current lover, Skywalker had not made a move on her, but still, she had never met a young, hormone-filled man who could resist a willing young beauty for more than a few hours.

Of course, she then conceded, Skywalker's mind was rather preoccupied by other things right now, his new knowledge and circumstances brought about by their master being at the top of his concerns. Perhaps this explained that. She certainly felt busy enough with her studies without any need for extra aggravations. However, she also had a long-term mission to fulfill and she _would_ be successful.

Failure was not an option.

Picking up her Economics pad, she left her room and sat in the couch of the living room, resuming her studying while she waited for her charge to leave one of the two rooms that were off-limits to her.

Near the main entrance that led to Vader's personal quarters, Vader's pet Noghri had resumed his vigil, its dark eyes tracking her distrustfully. She returned the glare for a moment, and then dismissed its presence altogether.

It was inconsequential; only Skywalker, his safety and his embracing the Empire mattered.

She remained in the living room until he finally came out of the 'fresher, almost half an hour later, and then locked himself in his room, wordlessly warning her out of his last refuge from what he considered to be a nightmare.

She activated her own silent alarm so that if he came out before she was awake, she would be roused by her comlink and instantly return by his side.

Then, and only then, she allowed herself to retire for the night.

She would continue her homework in the morning after her training.

TBC

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Well? How was that? For those of you who worry that this story will move slowly, it is undeniable that it will be a little slower than some of my other fics, but I have just come up with a plot twist that will move it along much faster than it was originally meant to. My muses just won't have it any other way so just get ready for the pace to hasten up soon enough;P

Back to this new update, how were the Father/Son moments? And how do you like Mara's means of spying on them? What do you think of Ani's droid idea? or Mara's rather farfetched thoughts about Luke's physical interests ;P Anything else to share?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious presents all year long! It's even better than chocolate, and Force knows that I'm addicted to that sweet So ;P Please, pretty please? I promise to update as soon as possible, but I can't guarantee when… though you never know what effect feedback can have on me ;P (Hint, hint ;P)

On a personal writer's note, the dead language thing is based on my thoughts about having to learn Latin back in highschool :( Never turned out to be useful in the end even though they said that that it would be

As for the pain that I am putting Luke through, it comes straight from my own life. It's called fibromyalgia and, lucky for me, I only have a rare but benign form of it... However, unlike Luke, no painkillers can help me, not even for real... So, it hurts, on and off, in a completely random pattern, and it eats into my free hours and not so free hours by quickly depleting what I have left of energy... sometimes to the point that even watching TV with open eyes is too much, let alone thinking and making up stories... Basically, I'm still under forty years old yet I'm trapped in the body of a much older person. Heck, even my retired parents are in better physical shape than I am in regards to endurance and energy... Traditional medecine can't do anything but advise on how to adapt my lifestyle and to better manage my emotions , but fortunately, there is hope in a non-traditional way... and as for Luke, I did make it only temporary for him:) NOw, we'll see if he gets better before I find out if my current hope in regards to naturopathy is the answer to my prayers. And now I'm babbling... sorry.

Anyway, I thought it might be intriguing to some of you to know where some of my ideas come from, so... there you go: the not-so-thrilling secrets of some elements of that story.

Till next time, I do hope that you had fun reading this new addition!

Love

Mireille


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